INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Daresbury Laboratory: Skilled Workers

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made by the Science and Technology Facilities Council on implementing its policy to retain key skills at Daresbury laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: STFC is aiming to retain important skills at the Daresbury Science and Innovation campus to resource the range of scientific research investments being planned for its future. I have most recently announced a £25 million investment by St. Modwen, a private sector developer that will be investing in a new (Vanguard House) business incubator facility at Daresbury to accommodate the rapidly growing (over 65) science and technology-based companies at the site, and new start-up science and technology businesses emerging in part from Daresbury's own leading scientific research programme. STFC has also tabled proposals for a new computer science centre at Daresbury (Hartree) and, in conjunction with its sister campus at Harwell, a new detector systems centre. These proposed centres would add to the existing Cockcroft Institute for accelerator research and the contribution that Daresbury is making to the preparatory phase of the New Light Source project. Taken together, I believe that the portfolio of facilities and projects at Daresbury will continue to sustain and develop its leading edge skills—which are highly valued by me and my Department. We are fully committed to the development of the Daresbury Science and Innovation campus as announced in Budget 2006.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Bureaucracy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make a statement on measures undertaken to date pursuant to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) pledge to reduce bureaucracy, as indicated on page nineteen of the current LSC Statement.

David Lammy: The Government are committed to reducing bureaucracy at all levels within further education to release providers' energy to focus on the needs of individuals and employers. Through its deregulation agenda the Department and its intermediaries have already for example:
	reduced the number of intermediary bodies—Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate have been brought together in one inspector body, QIA and CEL are being brought together into a single body which will provide support to FE colleges and providers;
	reduced the administrative burden on colleges and independent providers—there is now light touch inspection for the best performers, a reduction in audit requirements is saving about £12 million in administrative time per year and recognition as an awarding body has recently been reduced from an average of 10 months to two-three months;
	introduced Impact Assessments of policies on front line delivery.
	The LSC is committed to reducing bureaucracy. As a result of the restructuring begun in 2005-06 the LSC expect to realise annual administration savings of £40 million by the end of 2008-09. The LSC are also committed to making administration efficiency savings during the current spending review period of 5 per cent. year on year.
	The LSC have made significant administration efficiency savings since it started operations in April 2001. Administration costs as a proportion of total expenditure has fallen from 4.6 per cent. in 2001-02 to an anticipated 1.6 per cent. in 2010-11.
	I have asked Mark Haysom, the LSC Chief Executive, to write to the hon. Member with further information on action being taken. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 2 June 2008:
	I am writing to you at the request of Bill Rammell in response to your recent question about the LSC pledge to reduce bureaucracy.
	In our Statement of Priorities published in November 2007 we highlighted eight areas where we are committed to simplifying the education and training system for the benefit of learners and employers.
	 Funding methodology.
	The LSC has implemented a reduction in the number of funding streams from six to three which will reduce administrative complexities for FE colleges and training providers and provide a clearer link between policy objectives and funding arrangements. It is expected that this will result in increased access and participation for 16-18 year-old learners and increased awareness of learning opportunities for adult learners.
	 Custome r interaction with FE system
	We are continuously looking for ways to improve this, for example we have just introduced a single Helpline, Assessment and Payment Body to improve the customer (learner) experience, by having a single point of reference, single portal, and single phone number for all interactions in relation to nationally administered financial support programmes for learners.
	 Single brokerage service
	A common brokerage framework has been introduced to ensure consistency across LSC regions, and to improve the service to employers we plan to go further by transferring the skills brokerage service to regional development agencies (RDAs) to enable its integration with the Business Link service.
	 New Standard
	This has now been launched as the Training Quality Standard. It recognises provider responsiveness to employer needs and provider excellence in a particular vocational area; two areas that employers have told us are critical for success. It will give employers a simple and straightforward way to compare training providers.
	 Framework for Excellence
	This is a balanced scoreboard of performance indicators that will enable learners and employers to make more informed choices and decisions, thus contributing to improved levels of satisfaction, increased retention rates, greater investment by individuals and employers, a sharper focus on economically valuable skills, and better and more relevant outcomes. A large scale pilot has just been completed and version 1 of the Framework is scheduled for roll-out to all FE colleges and work-based learning providers from August 2008.
	 Regional skills strategies
	The LSC no longer produces 47 local plans with a range of priorities and initiatives but rather brings these together into nine regional plans. These regional plans set out how the LSC's funding will be used to support national priorities as identified in our Grant Letter and Statement of Priorities, and regional priorities identified by regional development agencies.
	 Qualifications and Credit Framework
	With the QCA we are developing a simple and flexible structure that allows achievement to be built incrementally through the accumulation and transfer of credit. This will encourage and enable more learning that is appropriate to individuals' and employers' needs, For 2008-09 the LSC will be encouraging providers to adopt QCF provision where it is available.
	 Simplification of business processes
	The LSC continues to support the operation of the Bureaucracy Reduction Group (BRG) as the FE sector-led gatekeeper group for bureaucracy. The BRG has scrutinised the operation of a number of the LSC's major programmes and has helpfully identified areas where improvements could be made. For example, its recent scrutiny of Train to Gain resulted in a 10 point action plan to reduce bureaucracy in this programme. The report and recommendations of this scrutiny can be found on the BRG website
	(www.fe-brg.org.uk).
	In order to continue to tackle perceived bureaucracy and improve efficiency the LSC is developing a Simplification Plan. This will set out the actions the LSC is taking across a range of activities in addition to those highlighted above. It is expected that this will be published in July 2008 and I will send you a copy at that time.

Measurement: Wines

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on perceptions of alcohol consumption of the phasing out of 125 ml measure wine glasses in favour of 175 ml glasses.

Ian Pearson: Under existing legislation, both 125 ml and 175 ml measures may be used for the sale of wine by the glass. We have no evidence that the use of 125 ml glasses is being phased out. Alcohol policy as it relates to health is the responsibility of the Department of Health. It has launched a public education campaign to improve knowledge of the alcohol units contained in everyday drinks, and how drinking can affect people's health.

Physics: Research

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment has been made of the future effect of the recent reductions in funding for physics research and astronomy projects in the UK on the UK's industry and economy; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Research Council expenditure on physics research is already in excess of £500 million per annum and is expected to increase over the CSR—comprehensive spending review—period.
	The science budget is at its highest ever level and will enable the UK to maintain its leading position in research excellence, give rise to greater exploitation, as well as helping to build a stronger economy.

Research: EC Action

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what progress has been made in the UK towards meeting the Lisbon agenda target that the EU should invest three per cent. of its gross domestic product in research and development by 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  progress has been made towards the Government's target to invest 2.5 per cent. of the UK's gross domestic product in research and development by 2014; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the Lisbon agenda target that the EU as a whole should be investing three per cent. of its gross domestic product in research and development by 2010; for what reasons the Government set a target of 2.5 per cent. by 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The 3 per cent. Lisbon target applies to the EU as a whole, not to individual member states. Individual member states need to set targets in relation to their own circumstances. The Government felt that the UK target, set out in the 10-year Science and Innovation Investment Framework in 2004, was an appropriate and challenging target given the level of UK's research and development and the structure of the UK economy. In 2006 the UK spent 1.75 per cent. of gross domestic product on research and development, up from 1.74 per cent. in 2005. As a whole the EU27 spent 1.84 per cent. of gross domestic product on research and development in 2006, the same as in 2005.

Science and Technology Facilities Council

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment has been made of the effect of the £80 million shortfall in the annual Science and Technology Facilities Council fund announced in December 2007; what steps have been taken by his Department to address the shortfall; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We have made no such announcement The STFC's budget will rise by 13.6 per cent. by the end of the CSR period making it the third largest Research Council by budget This amounts to an additional £185 million over that period and a budget in total of £1.9 billion over the same period.

Students

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of  (a) overall developments in trans-European student mobility,  (b) the European Credit Transfer System,  (c) the Europass CV,  (d) the Europass Mobility,  (e) the Europass Diploma Supplement,  (f) the Europass Certificate Supplement and  (g) the Europass Language portfolio.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The Government are keen to see an increase in the numbers of British students who take the opportunity to include a period of study abroad as part of their course. Within Europe, we have seen a welcome increase this year in the number of UK students taking part in the EU's Erasmus programme. Interim figures for 2007-08 show that well over 10,000 UK students have taken part (including some 2,800 work placement students). And the UK continues to be one of the top destinations for students from other European countries taking part in the programme.
	 (b) The Government believe there is scope for further adaptation of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to ensure that it effectively reflects the greater importance of the assessment of learning outcomes. In response to these and other member states' concerns, the European Commission is reviewing the ECTS users' guide, which is expected to be completed later this year.
	Items  (c) to  (g) refer to the five documents that make up the Europass portfolio, a method introduced by the EU to record formal, informal and non-formal education. The operating agency for Europass in the UK, the National Europass Centre, has been promoting the portfolio in its entirety through organisations such as universities, FE colleges, vocational training organisations and UK accreditation bodies. There is increased interest in the use of Europass and it is expected that the introduction of the European Qualifications Framework will lead to greater take up of Europass documents in the future. The Government believe that Europass will assist in the recognition across Europe of formally or informally acquired skills and encourage mobility within the work force.

Students: Debts

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of what will be the average personal debt per student at the end of a degree course; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We expect students who entered higher education in the 2006-07 and 2007-8 academic years to graduate with an average level of debt of around £15,000.
	Student loans have very different features to most commercial loans, Graduates only repay once they are in work and only when their annual income reaches £15,000. Interest is charged at the rate of inflation, so students only pay back in real terms the amount they originally borrowed.
	In July we announced plans to introduce greater flexibility in the repayment of student loans by allowing borrowers to take repayment breaks of up to five years.
	A generous package of support is available to students, particularly those from low income households. In 2006-07 over half of eligible full-time students received a full or partial maintenance grant of up to £2,700, From 2008-09 onwards, the minimum threshold (of household income) for a full maintenance grant of up to £2,835 per year will be extended from £17,500 a year to £25,000 a year; with a partial grant available up to an income threshold of £60,005. This will mean that two thirds of all eligible students in England entering higher education in the academic year 2008-09 are expected to be entitled to a full or partial non-repayable grant—compared to just over half now.

Teachers: Training

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many applicants there were for teacher training in secondary school  (a) mathematics,  (b) physics,  (c) ICT and  (d) modern languages in each of the last three years; and how many and what proportion of applicants for such courses in 2009 have been successful.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of applicants to secondary initial teacher training (ITT) is not collected centrally. The number of applications made to mainstream postgraduate ITT is collected; however the number of applications to undergraduate ITT courses is not available. The number of applications for employment based ITT is not collected centrally.
	The following table shows the number of applications to postgraduate secondary ITT courses in England for  (a) mathematics,  (b) physics,  (c) ICT and  (d) modern languages in each of the last three years for which complete data are available.
	
		
			   Number of applications 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Mathematics 3,250 2,840 2,590 
			 Physics 520 490 450 
			 ICT 1,620 1,440 1,120 
			 Modern Languages 2,220 2,060 1,760 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2 Some applications for postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and are not included in the figures.  3. Figures include trainees to secondary courses and do not include trainees to middle year's courses.  4. Data are as at the end of the application process so are subject to change.  5. Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutes covered may vary.  6. Modern languages include French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and other modern languages.  Source:  Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR). 
		
	
	The figures are published on the GTTR website at:
	http://www.gttr.ac.uk/stats.html.
	Finalised data relating to the number of applications and the proportion which have been accepted on courses in 2009 are not available until February 2010,

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Coordination

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which Departments have established  (a) ministerial committees and  (b) permanent groups involving senior civil servants to liaise with the Government Equalities Office.

Barbara Follett: None of the other Government Departments have established ministerial committees or permanent groups specifically in order to liaise with the Government Equalities Office (GEO), although GEO is a member of a number of cross-departmental groups. The GEO has also set up a number of groups, such as the Equality PSA Delivery Board in order to liaise with other Departments.

Local Government: Disabled

Hywel Francis: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many people with disabilities were employed by each local authority in each of the last three years, broken down by disability; and what proportion of employees that represents in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of people employed by each local authority who have a disability is not held centrally.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Public Participation

Graham Stuart: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many sessions of Ask the PM he plans to hold in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time officials will be working on the Ask the PM blog; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how much he expects the Ask the PM blog to cost in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: As I set out, this will be a regular event. There are no additional staff and all costs will be met from within the existing budgets.

WALES

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has issued guidance to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: My Department issued guidance to all staff in June 2006 to switch off their personal computers and networked printers when not in use.
	Reminders are sent to all staff periodically.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1347W, on the departmental internet, how much bandwidth per month his Department purchases; how much of this is burst bandwidth; what the maximum burstable rate is; what resiliency has been purchased; how many servers host the website; and what backup solution is in place.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office departmental internet uses 1 megabit per second, none of which is burst, although the maximum burstable rate is 2 megabits per second. No resiliency has been purchased, but the company who hosts the website has a complete backup. The website is hosted on one server.

Food

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much food waste his Department generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: My Department does not have any catering facilities in house, and therefore does not routinely generate food waste.

SCOTLAND

Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has issued guidance to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office shares an information technology system (SCOTS) with the Scottish Executive, which is responsible for the development, administration and maintenance of the system.
	The Executive is shortly to introduce a new energy saving initiative that automatically shuts down computers which are not in use. The 'Nightwatchman', as the new software is known, will be installed on all computers across the network throughout the next month or so. This software will help to save energy and reduce carbon emissions by ensuring computers are shutdown when not in use.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to  (a) all staff and  (b) staff at senior civil service level in his Department in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many payments were made.

David Cairns: Staff in the Scotland Office are seconded from the Scottish Executive (SE) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) who each have bonus schemes, part of which relate to annual performance appraisal. The Scotland Office does not hold information on bonus payments under the annual performance appraisal systems. Under the Special Bonus Scheme of the SE and the Reward and Recognition Scheme of the MoJ, the Office may also directly authorise bonus payments for special effort, achievement and commitment; the following table shows the number and cost of such non-pensionable bonuses:
	
		
			   FY 2007-08 
			 Total number of bonuses 6 
			 Total cost of bonuses (£) 2,150 
		
	
	Members of the Senior Civil Service in the Scotland Office are also seconded from the Scottish Executive and the Ministry of Justice, their bonuses are assessed under a framework set by the Cabinet Office. The Office does not hold central information on such bonuses.

Planning: Wind Power

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1638W, on planning: wind power, what account he takes of the effects of planning advice in Scotland in formulating planning guidance for England on the siting of wind turbines; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The formulation of planning advice for England is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

British National Party: Finance

Rob Marris: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps were taken against the British National party for its late declaration of donations, fundraising abroad, the destruction of financial records and other irregularities referred to in the BBC Radio 4 programme File on Four in February 2008.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has taken enforcement action against the British National party on three occasions, fining the party a total of £1,750 for late submission of accounts and campaign expenditure reports. The individual civil penalties are listed as follows:
	31 August 2007: Fined £1,000 for late submission of party's 2006 Statement of Accounts;
	24 October 2007: Fined £250 for late submission of Accounting Unit 2006 Statement of Accounts; and
	21 December 2007: Fined £500 for late submission of Scottish Parliamentary campaign expenditure return
	In addition, on two occasions, the BNP has submitted quarterly returns of donations late. Its quarter 1 2003 return was late by one day and its quarter 3 2006 return was two weeks late. However, the Commission did not begin imposing fines on political parties for late submission of donation returns until quarter 1 2007.
	In relation to allegations of fundraising abroad, the Commission has made inquiries into this issue and was not satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to establish that the British National Party had accepted impermissible donations.
	Regarding the alleged destruction of financial records and other irregularities referred to in the BBC Radio 4 programme File on Four, the Electoral Commission reviewed a small number of shredded papers but was not able to establish that they provided evidence of a possible offence under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Political Parties: Finance

Rob Marris: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 
	(1)  what donations were notified to the Commission  (a) on time and  (b) late in each year for which figures are available; who the donor was in each case; on what date each donation was (i) received and (ii) notified; and what steps were taken in each case of late notification;
	(2)  what donations were notified to the Commission  (a) late and  (b) on time where the donation was found to be impermissible in each year for which figures are available; who the (i) donor and (ii) donee was in each case; and on what date (A) the donation was received and (B) the Commission was notified in each case;
	(3)  what donations were notified to the Commission  (a) late and  (b) on time by each political party in each year for which figures are available; and what steps were taken against each political party for late notification in each case.

Peter Viggers: I am advised that the answers to the hon. Member's questions are voluminous. I will therefore write to the hon. Member, have a copy of my letters placed in the Library, and ask the Electoral Commission to place a copy of the letters on their website.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) her Department and (ii) the agencies for which she is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: There are no apprenticeships or advanced apprenticeships within my Department. However, we will be participating in the Apprenticeship Pathfinder in September 2008 which is being facilitated by Government Skills. The Fire Service College had one apprenticeship during 2005 which resulted in the person being taken on as a permanent member of staff. None of my other agencies or the Government office network have had apprenticeships or advanced apprenticeships.

Community Relations

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Community Empowerment White Paper will be published before the summer recess; and what the timetable is for subsequent legislation.

Parmjit Dhanda: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 5 March that she would publish a White Paper on empowerment in the summer. On 14 May the Prime Minister announced that the Government intend to introduce a Bill on community empowerment, housing and economic regeneration in the fourth session.

Conference Centres: Harrogate

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will hold discussions with representatives of the Harrogate International Centre on provision of funding to the centre by her Department and the Yorkshire Regional Development Agency.

Parmjit Dhanda: Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency is currently in discussions with the Harrogate International Centre, at a senior level, about the possibility of investment in its refurbishment and awaits the outcome of a feasibility study expected later this year.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2254W, on council tax: parish councils, and with reference to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1169W, for what reasons her Department is not able to calculate the average parish council tax precept;
	(2)  what the average parish precept on Band D council tax was in England in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 1997-98, averaged across parish areas only;
	(3)  if she will publish the methodology by which her Department has previously calculated the average Band D council tax parish precept in parished areas.

John Healey: Information on precepts and band D council taxes set by individual parish and town councils is not collected by the Department. The only information on parish precepts reported to the Department by local authorities is the total amount of parish precepts due to be collected by each billing authority. For this reason, a precise average cannot be calculated.
	Recent estimates are available in Local Government Financial Statistics England at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/
	No estimate is available for 1997-98.

Council Tax: Valuation

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many homes were revalued for the purposes of council tax at the point of sale in each region in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many homes revalued at the point of sale for the purposes of council tax were  (a) revalued to (i) a higher band and (ii) a lower band and  (b) the same council tax band in each region of the UK in each year since 1997.

John Healey: Regulation 4 of the Council Tax (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) Regulations 1993 requires that a banding is reviewed following improvements (a "material increase") at the point of sale (a "relevant transaction"). The number of such reviews, broken down by region and whether they resulted in  (a) a higher band or  (c) no change, were:
	
		
			  Financial year  Region  (a) Higher band  (c) No change 
			 1997-98 East Midlands 539 2,889 
			 1997-98 East of England 1,008 4,273 
			 1997-98 London 545 2,229 
			 1997-98 North East 322 1,601 
			 1997-98 North West 626 3,557 
			 1997-98 South East 1,511 6,617 
			 1997-98 South West 900 3,688 
			 1997-98 West Midlands 513 2,737 
			 1997-98 Yorkshire and The Humber 358 1,609 
			 
			 1998-99 East Midlands 450 2,530 
			 1998-99 East of England 896 3,634 
			 1998-99 London 481 2,660 
			 1998-99 North East 267 1,490 
			 1998-99 North West 590 3,044 
			 1998-99 South East 1,351 6,400 
			 1998-99 South West 796 3,400 
			 1998-99 West Midlands 446 2,264 
			 1998-99 Yorkshire and The Humber 419 2,889 
			 
			 1999-2000 East Midlands 491 2,742 
			 1999-2000 East of England 916 3,900 
			 1999-2000 London 566 2,604 
			 1999-2000 North East 285 1,379 
			 1999-2000 North West 735 4,754 
			 1999-2000 South East 1,284 6,154 
			 1999-2000 South West 754 3,341 
			 1999-00 West Midlands 611 2,919 
			 1999-00 Yorkshire and The Humber 362 1,747 
			 
			 2000-01 East Midlands 414 2,257 
			 2000-01 East of England 1,071 4,373 
			 2000-01 London 735 3,364 
			 2000-01 North East 254 1,286 
			 2000-01 North West 596 3,120 
			 2000-01 South East 1,548 6,746 
			 2000-01 South West 818 3,883 
			 2000-01 West Midlands 558 2,945 
			 2000-01 Yorkshire and The Humber 391 1,825 
			 
			 2001-02 East Midlands 463 2,421 
			 2001-02 East of England 1,167 4,652 
			 2001-02 London 832 3,881 
			 2001-02 North East 228 1,137 
			 2001-02 North West 698 3,455 
			 2001-02 South East 1,718 7,372 
			 2001-02 South West 901 4,170 
			 2001-02 West Midlands 505 2,666 
			 2001-02 Yorkshire and The Humber 403 2,200 
			 
			 2002-03 East Midlands 585 4,183 
			 2002-03 East of England 1,173 4,529 
			 2002-03 London 914 4,110 
			 2002-03 North East 231 1,258 
			 2002-03 North West 741 4,229 
			 2002-03 South East 1,620 6,669 
			 2002-03 South West 871 3,536 
			 2002-03 West Midlands 558 3,032 
			 2002-03 Yorkshire and The Humber 434 2,305 
			 
			 2003-04 East Midlands 644 4,019 
			 2003-04 East of England 1,165 4,325 
			 2003-04 London 1,092 5,375 
			 2003-04 North East 258 1,466 
			 2003-04 North West 689 4,056 
			 2003-04 South East 1,826 7,039 
			 2003-04 South West 836 3,565 
			 2003-04 West Midlands 676 3,287 
			 2003-04 Yorkshire and The Humber 556 3,133 
			 
			 2004-05 East Midlands 548 4,064 
			 2004-05 East of England 1,348 4,693 
			 2004-05 London 934 3,127 
			 2004-05 North East 259 1,427 
			 2004-05 North West 596 3,372 
			 2004-05 South East 1,572 6,567 
			 2004-05 South West 923 4,566 
			 2004-05 West Midlands 596 3,056 
			 2004-05 Yorkshire and The Humber 549 2,822 
			 
			 2005-06 East Midlands 494 3,172 
			 2005-06 East of England 969 3,456 
			 2005-06 London 860 2,745 
			 2005-06 North East 244 1,068 
			 2005-06 North West 433 2,785 
			 2005-06 South East 1,685 6,451 
			 2005-06 South West 836 3,821 
			 2005-06 West Midlands 555 3,057 
			 2005-06 Yorkshire and The Humber 540 2,925 
			 2006-07 East Midlands 371 2,224 
			 2006-07 East of England 966 2,843 
			 2006-07 London 672 2,064 
			 2006-07 North East 203 1,045 
			 2006-07 North West 441 2,276 
			 2006-07 South East 1,583 5,048 
			 2006-07 South West 888 4,828 
			 2006-07 West Midlands 454 2,055 
			 2006-07 Yorkshire and The Humber 462 1,863 
			 
			 2007-08 East Midlands 185 1,193 
			 2007-08 East of England 563 1,788 
			 2007-08 London 764 2,414 
			 2007-08 North East 131 615 
			 2007-08 North West 274 1,457 
			 2007-08 South East 986 3,149 
			 2007-08 South West 474 1,305 
			 2007-08 West Midlands 254 1,365 
			 2007-08 Yorkshire and The Humber 207 804 
		
	
	Reviews resulting in  (b) a lower band could apply at any time and are not linked to a "point of sale".

Council Tax: Valuation

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies have commissioned on council tax revaluation in the last 12 months from (i) within her Department and its agencies and (ii) external bodies.

John Healey: None.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to  (a) all staff and  (b) staff at senior civil service level in (i) her Department and (ii) its agencies in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many payments were made.

Parmjit Dhanda: The numbers of bonuses paid to all staff and the cost of these in the 2007-08 financial year are given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of bonuses  Cost of bonuses (£) 
			 Senior civil servants (SCS) 104 686,000 
			 All staff below SCS 391 332,350 
			 Total 495 1,018,350 
		
	
	In Communities and Local Government, bonus payments are made to those members of staff who are found to have made a significant contribution towards the achievement of the teams, and/or Department's objectives. Individuals are expected to show that they have exceeded the requirements set for the achievement of the objective and have demonstrated exemplary behaviour in doing so. Our senior civil service staff members are also assessed against a range of factors, such as:
	The achievement of their Prime Objective which focuses on the way in which they lead, manage and develop their staff;
	Degree to which business objectives are met;
	Delivery for Ministers;
	Demonstration of skills such as judgement, leadership and the PSG skills;
	Effective resource management
	Details of bonuses paid in the Department's agencies is not held centrally.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1685W, on departmental procurement, when the purchase order department became operational; and whether the database covers expenditure by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Parmjit Dhanda: All purchase orders raised by the Department and its predecessor, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which was formed in May 2002, are recorded on the Department's financial system.

Departmental Procurement

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1685W, on departmental procurement, what the financial trigger for a purchase order being required for expenditure is.

Parmjit Dhanda: All purchase orders require prior financial approval from a budget holder.

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) surveys,  (b) questionnaires and  (c) other services were provided by polling companies for her Department in financial year 2007-08, broken down by company. [Official Report, 9 July 2008, Vol. 478, c. 9MC.]

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 681W.
	Between then and the end of the financial year, the Department has undertaken the following work from polling companies.
	 Andrew Irving Associates Ltd.
	Quantitative survey on the Code for Sustainable Homes
	Pre and post tracking research on the effectiveness of the 'Pull your Finger out' fire safety campaign
	Fire Safety Research into the Holiday Accommodation Sector
	 COI
	Fire fighting careers research and recommendations
	Fire Kills Literature Review
	Fire Kills campaign recognition omnibus survey
	Workshops on the importance of the English language to building communities
	Survey of planning professionals about whether Planning Portal services met their needs
	 Cragg Ross Dawson Ltd.
	Energy Performance of Buildings Directive research
	 Dorset County Council
	Housing related research
	 GFK NOP Ltd.
	HIPs consumer awareness, qualitative, and omnibus research
	Accountability of local council services—omnibus survey
	 TH Seagrove
	Telephone survey of tenant activists on their awareness etc. of landlords work in terms of the Respect agenda.
	 IPSOS Mori
	Third tranche of 2007 employee survey and the production of aggregated results from the full 2007 employee survey
	Senior Civil Service survey
	Employee engagement workshops

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultants have been contracted by her Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure her Department has incurred on each such contract to date.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Disabled Facilities Grants

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much she has allocated to disability facility grants for each of the  (a) last and  (b) next five years; what estimate she has made of the average local authority contribution to such grants over the same periods; and what estimate she has made of the overall cost to the public purse of disability facility grants over the same periods;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the removal of the obligation on local authorities to contribute 40 per cent. of disability facility grant awards on the  (a) level and  (b) effectiveness of such awards; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) is a mandatory grant used to provide adaptations to the homes of disabled people. Local authorities in England report to the Department their annual DFG expenditure through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix. The 2006-07 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix report is the latest available data and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/localauthorityhousing/dataforms/357553/hssa200607/
	Communities and Local Government do not hold information on how much local authorities plan to spend on DFG in the next five years.
	The following table details funding for the past five years and Communities and Local Government funding for the current Comprehensive Spending Review period.
	
		
			  £ 
			  DFG  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Government contribution 99,000 99,572 111,294 120,723 138,250 146,081 156,000 166,000 
			 Total including LA contribution 194,890 210,922 221,289 232,828 259,389 274,356 n/a n/a 
			  Note:  2007-08 and 2008-09 are estimated returns provided by the 2006-07 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix. 
		
	
	Prior to 2008-09 Communities and Local Government contributed 60 per cent. of the value of the DFG to local authorities up to an agreed allocation with the local authority funding the remaining 40 per cent. Many local authorities have been spending considerably more than the 40 per cent. match funding element of the DFG on providing adaptations. The mandatory nature of the DFG remains in place with the legal responsibility for delivering the scheme resting with local authorities. It is therefore expected that the removal of the 60:40 split will have no impact on the level of local authority investment.
	Relaxing the ring fence will enable local authorities to bring together different funding streams, allowing greater flexibility and freedom in administering the programme. It will also empower local authorities to design services which fit with local delivery arrangements and the needs of individuals. Local authorities will, for example, be able to use DFG funding to cover the costs of moving home, where this is a more appropriate solution to adaptation.

Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to review the granting of funds under the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund to the New Kadampa Tradition; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund covered the period August 2006 to March 2008. The fund has now finished and all monies have been distributed. The Government will not be reviewing the allocation of funding.

Fire Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  on what date the new networked fire control rooms provided by EADS will be in operational use;
	(2)  what liability fire and rescue authorities will have for the costs of each regional control centre (RCC) company  (a) before and  (b) after each RCC becomes operational;
	(3)  if she will publish the FiReControl project timetable for each  (a) Government Office region and  (b) fire authority; and on what anticipated dates fire and rescue authorities will become responsible for the operating costs of each regional control centre.

Parmjit Dhanda: A Regional Control Centre (RCC) becomes operational when the first Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) transfer calls to that RCC. Within a region, FRAs will then cut-over sequentially. The programme is detailed in the following table. All FRAs should have transferred its calls to the RCC network by September 2011.
	Prior to cut-over, CLG will meet the running costs. As each FRA cuts over it will meet its share of the costs of running the RCC. How costs are apportioned between FRAs within a region is a matter for each region to decide.
	
		
			  Fire and Rescue Authority  Control room functions cut-over 
			  East Midlands  
			 Derbyshire October 2009 
			 Leicestershire January 2010 
			 Nottinghamshire March 2010 
			 Lincolnshire May 2010 
			 Northamptonshire July 2010 
			   
			  North East  
			 Durham and Darlington January 2010 
			 Tyne and Wear October 2009 
			 Cleveland March 2010 
			 Northumberland March 2010 
			   
			  South West  
			 Somerset October 2009 
			 Devon January 2010 
			 Dorset March 2010 
			 Avon May 2010 
			 Cornwall July 2010 
			 Wiltshire September 2010 
			 Gloucestershire January 2011 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 Staffordshire January 2010 
			 West Midlands March 2010 
			 Shropshire May 2010 
			 Hereford and Worcester September 2010 
			 Warwickshire July 2010 
			  South East  
			 Hampshire May 2010 
			 Royal Berkshire September 2010 
			 Oxfordshire January 2011 
			 Kent March 2011 
			 East Sussex May 2011 
			 Buckinghamshire Jul 2011 
			 Isle of Wight September 2011 
			 Surrey September 2011 
			 West Sussex July 2010 
			   
			  North West  
			 Cumbria March 2011 
			 Cheshire March 2011 
			 Lancashire March 2011 
			 Greater Manchester September 2010 
			 Merseyside January 2011 
			   
			  Yorkshire and Humberside  
			 West Yorkshire January 2011 
			 South Yorkshire March 2011 
			 Humberside May 2011 
			 North Yorkshire May 2011 
			   
			  East of England  
			 Essex July 2011 
			 Norfolk September 2011 
			 Cambridge and Peterborough May 2011 
			 Hertfordshire September 2011 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton July 2011 
			 Suffolk July 2011 
			   
			  London  
			 London November 2010

Fire Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what effect she estimates the FiReControl project will have on the council tax precept on individual fire and rescue authorities over the next three years;
	(2)  what funding has been set aside by her Department to finance any new burden costs associated with the implementation of regional control centres;
	(3)  what liability or financial burden fire and rescue authorities will bear for any cost overruns in delivery of the FiReControl project;
	(4)  what changes will be made to the funding of fire and rescue authorities as a consequence of the FiReControl project.

Parmjit Dhanda: The FiReControl Project should have no impact on council tax precepts for Fire and Rescue Authorities. In line with the Government's commitment on new burdens, a specific grant of £92,200,000 has been allocated to cover the net additional cost to Fire and Rescue Authorities of the FiReControl Project over the period of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. Any cost overruns in the delivery of the project will be met by Communities and Local Government.

Fire Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the cost of ensuring that planned accommodation moves as part of the FiReControl project comply with critical national infrastructure requirements.

Parmjit Dhanda: The new FiReControl network will be part of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). This includes buildings, facilities management arrangements, IT and people. This has always been a requirement of the project and no separate assessment has been made of the cost of meeting requirements for individual components.

Fire Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the FiReControl business case will next be updated.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson), on 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1631W.

Fire Services: Mentally Ill

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire fighters were diagnosed with mental health problems in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on the number of firefighters diagnosed with mental health problems is not held centrally. Available information is for ill-health retirements on grounds of mental health, from 2001-02, and is set out in the following table. Figures for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are for all Fire and Rescue Service staff and relate to ill-health retirements on psychological grounds.
	
		
			  Ill-health retirements in England on psychological( 1 ) and mental health( 2)  grounds 
			  All staff  
			 1999-2000 134 
			 2000-01 137 
			   
			  Firefighters  
			 2001-02 140 
			 2002-03 127 
			 2003-04 114 
			 2004-05 79 
			 2005-06 53 
			 2006-07 27 
			  Notes:  1. 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Figures relate to all staff, separate figures for firefighters are not available.  2. 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Floods: Planning

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will consider introducing changes to planning regulations and guidance to tackle levels of flood risk in the East Thames corridor; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: Sir Michael Pitt's interim conclusion from his inquiry into the lessons learned from the floods last summer, is that the new Planning Policy Statement 25 'Development and Flood Risk' (PPS25) is sound but should be rigorously applied by local authorities. Work on achieving this is already well in hand. The Practice Guide to PPS25, which will provide practical advice to local authorities on implementing the policy, is due to be published shortly.

Green Belt: East of England

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes or reviews of Green Belt designation the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy proposes; and in which locations.

Parmjit Dhanda: The East of England Plan proposes green belt reviews to provide for essential housing and business growth focussed on the new towns to the north of London. The reviews will take place at Harlow, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage and Welwyn/Hatfield. The East of England Plan will, however, result in a net increase in green belt since it also proposes compensating green belt extensions north of Harlow and west of Stevenage.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when registered social landlords will be required to build to  (a) Level 4,  (b) Level 5 and  (c) Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Housing Corporation set out in their Design and Quality Strategy that new build schemes funded through their National Affordable Housing Programme for the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11 would meet level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. They have committed to increasing the minimum requirement to Code level 4 for their next programme starting in 2011-12, with a view to achieving Code level 6 by 2015, if the technology needed to achieve this cost effectively is available.

Improvement and Development Agency: Freedom of Information

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Improvement and Development Agency is subject to the provisions of  (a) the Environmental Information Regulations and  (b) the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) is not subject to the provisions of either the Environmental Information Regulations or the Freedom of Information Act (FoI), but they comply with requests made under the legislation as if they were.

Local Government

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether joint committees created between local authorities under sections 101 and 102 of the Local Government Act 1972 may  (a) impose stipulations on the use of whole council elections in each partner local authority,  (b) impose stipulations on the number of councillors per ward in each partner local authority and  (c) place additional statutory obligations on the elected members of each partner local authority.

John Healey: Such joint committees cannot impose stipulations on the use of whole council elections or on the number of councillors per ward in each partner local authority: nor can they place additional statutory obligations on the elected members of each partner local authority.

Local Government Finance: Recreation Spaces

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department is providing to local authorities for  (a) improvements to park facilities and  (b) floodlighting and artificial sports pitches in parks in 2008-09.

Parmjit Dhanda: Local authority expenditure on these facilities can be funded from unhypothecated grant, council taxes or fees and charges.
	In addition, the funding we are providing for the Thames Gateway provides support for a range of public realm projects, often through local authorities, which may include park facilities, floodlighting and artificial sports pitches in parks. This includes 35 million to the Thames Gateway Parklands programme, to celebrate and enhance the gateway's character and some of this funding may be allocated to local authorities to provide such facilities. Decisions on the allocation of funding under this programme to particular projects have yet to be taken.

Local Government: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the negotiations on the multi-area agreement for Greater Manchester will address  (a) the number of councillors per ward,  (b) additional statutory obligations on the elected members of and  (c) the use of whole council elections in each local authority in Greater Manchester.

John Healey: The Greater Manchester authorities have not proposed, as part of the Multi Area Agreement they are negotiating with Government, any changes to the number of councillors per ward, additional statutory obligations on the elected members of and the use of whole council elections in each local authority in Greater Manchester.

Parking: Valuation

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the number of parking spaces within the curtilage of a retail development is taken into account by the Valuation Office Agency and contributes as a value significant or site positive feature towards its rateable value.

John Healey: The presence and number of car parking spaces within the curtilage of a retail development is a factor likely to contribute to its rental value, andto the extent that it doestherefore to be taken into account in arriving at rateable value.

Planning: Dorset

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had on planning issues with landowners in  (a) Lytchett Minster and  (b) Lytchett Maltravers in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has not held any discussions on planning issues with landowners in Lytchett Minster and Lytchett Matravers in the last 12 months.

Playgrounds: Vandalism

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public playgrounds have been closed due to vandalism and anti-social behaviour in the last four years; and what steps her Department is taking to address this matter.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on the number of public playgrounds that have been closed in the past four years due to vandalism and antisocial behaviour is not held centrally.
	There are a range of measures available to local agencies to deal with antisocial behaviour committed in and around playgrounds or any other public place. Antisocial behaviour tools and powers are normally used in an incremental way and should always be used in a way that is proportionate to the behaviour committed. Warnings, acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs), dispersal orders, parenting contracts and orders are normally used to tackle low-level antisocial behaviour. For more serious cases of antisocial behaviour, antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) may be used.

Post Offices: Non-domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many post offices were recorded on the Valuation Office Agency's ratings list in England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

John Healey: The number of properties with a description of 'post office and premises' appearing in the rating lists for England as at 31 March 2008 was 3,211. This does not include many post office facilities in premises primarily used for other purposes, such as shops.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which city academies in each region are most energy efficient.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information.

Academies: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether Peter Clarke played a role in the process by which the Ridings School in Halifax was considered for academy status; whether Peter Clarke is employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Ridings School has not been considered for academy status. A decision to close The Ridings School was made by Calderdale Council on 29 October 2007. I can confirm that Peter Clark is employed by the Department of Children, Schools and Families as a Senior Education Adviser.

Advanced Extension Awards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for the future of advanced extension awards; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We set out our plans for the future of Advanced Extension Awards in the consultation document, Promoting achievement, valuing success: a strategy for 14-19 qualifications, published in March 2008. Advanced Extension Awards (AEAs) overlap in purpose with the stretch and challenge being introduced into A level from September 2008. Our 14-19 Expert Group advised that, as part of moves to simplify the qualification offer, we should work with the awarding bodies to withdraw AEAs as new A levels are introduced. We are doing this and expect the last AEAs to be taken in 2009.

Children: Armed Forces

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the educational performance of children who have one or both parents in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of 15-year-olds with parents in the armed forces achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In January 2008, the School Census collected a services children indicator for the first time. No analysis has yet been carried out on prior academic attainment of the children flagged as being service children. To carry out this analysis would go over the disproportionate cost threshold. Analysis on GCSE attainment in 2007/08 is not yet possible.

Children: Armed Forces

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to improve the educational outcomes of children with parents in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We are working closely with the Ministry of Defence on the Service Personnel Command Paper and have regular contact with them on educational issues facing children of service personnel. This year, as part of the Annual School Census, the Department has begun collecting details on these children and this will allow us to look at their attainment over time.

Children: Asthma

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department has provided to  (a) local education authorities and  (b) schools on the management in schools of (i) asthma and (ii) other long-term medical conditions of children.

Jim Knight: This Department has issued guidance, available to local authorities and schools, entitled Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings.
	The guidance was published in 2005 jointly with the Department of Health, and specifically addresses what schools can do to help children with asthma and other medical conditions.
	In the same year we also produced, with the Council for Disabled Children, a handbook entitled Including me: managing complex health needs in schools and early years settings. This handbook is a practical guide to help local authorities, schools, early years settings and health providers develop policies and procedures to support children with medical needs.

Departmental Manpower

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) UK citizens born in the UK,  (b) UK citizens born abroad and  (c) foreign nationals were employed as staff by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information about UK citizens born in the UK or abroad, and foreign nationals, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All potential new appointments to the Department for Children, Schools and Families are subject to nationality, passport, proof of identity and reference checks and clearance before contracts of employment are issued.

Departmental Pensions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the effect on his Department's expenditure would be of increasing the employee contribution to each pension scheme for which his Department is responsible by one per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Increasing the employee contribution rate for the teachers' pension scheme (TPS) would have no impact upon the Department's expenditure, as the cost would be borne by members of the scheme.

Departmental Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether  (a) UK citizens born in the UK,  (b) UK citizens born abroad and  (c) foreign nationals recruited to his Department and its agencies are subject to (i) UK and (ii) overseas criminal record checks; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Since 2002, it has been my Department's policy to complete enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for all individuals (regardless of place of birth) who occupy certain 'regulated' posts as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. These posts involve direct contact with children or vulnerable adults. From 12 December 2007, following an amendment to the aforementioned Order, my Department has also completed enhanced checks for all individuals (again regardless of place of birth) who occupy posts with access to sensitive or personal information about children or vulnerable adults.
	The Cabinet Office's Baseline Personnel Security Standard Good Practice Guide indicates that in certain circumstances overseas checks may be required. My Department complies with this guidance and ensures that appropriate checks are carried out where a lack of UK residence requires it.

Ecology: Education

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of pupils studying for examinations in subjects relevant to the understanding of climate change.

Jim Knight: The Department has produced new resources over the last academic year to embed sustainability in the curriculum and encourage young people to learn about issues like climate change. As part of the Action Plan for Geography, teaching resources have been developed for the new secondary curriculum to be taught in schools from September 2008, and these include modules on climate change. Environmental interaction and sustainable development are key concepts in the new Key Stage 3 geography curriculum. Making the curriculum more relevant for pupils and reforming teaching and learning through the Action Plan for Geography are likely to have a positive impact on the numbers of pupils choosing to study for geography GCSE.
	Issues affecting climate change are also covered in the secondary science curriculum. The Government are committed to increasing the number of young people studying for science qualifications and to help achieve this aim it has put in place a robust programme of work supported by 140 million investment over the next three years. This includes introducing a statutory entitlement for all students to study science courses leading to at least two GCSEs from September 2007; introducing a non- statutory entitlement from September 2008 for all pupils achieving level 6 at key stage 3 to study triple science GCSE, supported by the triple science support programme now in place; providing additional incentives to recruit more high quality science graduates into teaching; improving the quality of teaching by making available good quality continuing professional development through the network of Science Learning Centres; and providing good quality advice to key stage 3 pupils about the wide range of careers available to those who study science. The Department has also just embarked on a national communications strategy aimed at informing pupils, parents and others of the exciting opportunities that are open to students when they study science.

Ecology: Education

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools provide courses including teaching on  (a) ecosystems,  (b) microclimates,  (c) renewable energy and  (d) sustainability.

Jim Knight: All of these areas are covered by the statutory Key Stage 3 programme of study for geography, and renewable energy and sustainability are also covered in the Key Stage 3 and 4 programmes of study for science, so all schools should be teaching them.

Ecology: Education

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on the efficacy of farm schools in educating children on environmental matters.

Jim Knight: The Department has not received any recent representations on the efficacy of farm schools in educating children in environmental matters. However, through the our Growing Schools programme, we work very closely with organisations that promote children's understanding of food and agriculture, and the environmental issues linked to them, either through visits to farms or through growing within the school grounds.
	Through the Growing Schools programme we have also supported the Year of Food and Farming, and funded the School Farms network to produce a resource to make the case for growing and keeping animals, and to guide schools step by step through everything from container growing to setting up school farms. The programme is also developing a new resource which considers how non-food crops are being used to produce renewable materials and fuels, and has close links with the Sustainable Schools Action Plan which shows how farms can help to highlight the sustainable doorways of food and drink, energy and water and local well-being.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students who gained five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics in 2007 had not previously attained the required standard of level 4 or above in English, mathematics and science at Key Stage 2.

Jim Knight: 19,363 pupils who achieved five or more A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics in 2007 at the end of key stage 4, had not previously attained level 4 or above in either English or mathematics or science at key stage 2. This was 6 per cent. of all pupils who achieved five or more A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics in 2007; including pupils in the independent sector.
	Of these 19,363 pupils, only 621 pupils had valid data for their prior attainment at key stage 2. This represents 0-2 per cent. of those pupils achieving five or more grades A*-C including English and mathematics.
	Missing prior attainment may be due to a pupil attending an independent school where national curriculum testing at the end of key stage 2 is not compulsory. There will also be no key stage 2 result for any pupils that were not resident in England when they were aged 11. Disapplied pupils and those pupils who were absent from school when the tests took place have been included in the figures.

Gifted Children

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what private organisations are involved in the delivery of the gifted and talented programme; when the contract with each expires; what functions each is undertaking; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has contracts with the CfBT Education Trust to manage the YGTYoung, Gifted and TalentedLearner Academy and with Capita to provide training, guidance and support for leading teachers of gifted and talented education and educators. Together the DCSF, CfBT and Capita manage and deliver the national programme for gifted and talented education at national level. Information on the duration of contacts is commercial in confidence.

Mathematics: Education

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to publish the final report of the review of the teaching of mathematics by Sir Peter Williams.

Jim Knight: Sir Peter Williams is expected to publish the final report of the Review of Mathematics Teaching in Early Years Settings and Primary Schools in June 2008.

National College for School Leadership: Expenditure

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the annual expenditure was of the National College for School Leadership on  (a) staff costs,  (b) publicity and printing,  (c) education and training and  (d) other costs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The annual expenditure of the National College for School Leadership on staff costs, publicity and printing, education and training and other costs are:
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   000 
			 Staffing costs 11,124 
			 Print and publicity 4,415 
			 Education and training (1)92,073 
			 Other (2)3,400 
			 Total investment 111,012 
			 (1) Spend (net of income) on programmes to deliver core college purpose. Majority of funding goes back to schools in subsidies, advice and programmes. (2) Includes spend on ICT, which supports on line access to programme materials. 
		
	
	The purpose of the National College for School Leadership is to improve the lives and life chances of all children throughout England by developing world-class school leaders, system leaders and future leaders for the wide-ranging challenges of leading 21st century schools.

National College for School Leadership: Expenditure

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the National College for School Leadership spent on publishing and publicity in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The National College for School Leadership expenditure on publishing and publicity in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			  000 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Advertising, marketing and public relations 409 523 737 1,534 1,963 
			 Design and print (including spend on materials for programmes) 1,851 6,010 3,373 3,574 2,107 
			 Multimedia 415 1,018 2,252 686 345 
			 Other 512 285 0 0 0 
			 Total spend on print and publishing 3,187 7,836 6,362 5,794 4,415 
		
	
	The purpose of the National College for School Leadership is to improve the lives and life chances of all children throughout England by developing world-class school leaders, system leaders and future leaders for the wide-ranging challenges of leading 21st century schools.

Newham Sports Academy: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on funding for the Newham Sports Academy.

Jim Knight: The only academy which is in feasibility is Stratford City Academy, The capital funding will be in the region of 35 million. This has been calculated by Partnership for Schools and is in tine with Building School for the Future and National Framework funding mechanisms. The academy will be an all age academy, providing 1,832 places for pupils aged three-18 years, The funding be will provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the London borough of Newham and the sponsor, Lend Lease. The final amount will be confirmed at Outline Business Case stage later this year.
	Like other academies, Stratford City Academy will receive revenue funding based on the local authority school funding formula, and national formulae applicable to other grants.
	In addition, Ian Stewart, an independent reviewer, has been appointed to lead a review into a potential educational legacy at the Olympic stadium. He has been consulting with the Olympic Development Authority and London Development Agency, among other key stakeholders, including community groups, and will report to Ministers at the end of June.

Primary Education: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research on the impact of  (a) the latest code on admissions and  (b) changes in the housing market, including the effects of rental provision and house prices, on the volatility in the demand for primary school places.

Jim Knight: September 2008 represents the start of the first school year since compliance with the School Admissions Code became a statutory requirement. The code and related admissions legislation help ensure that school places are awarded openly and fairly. During the summer we will be consulting on a number of measures that will further strengthen the code and enhance the admissions process. As with all policies it is important to have a clear picture of their impact and we will be carrying out a comprehensive review of all aspects of the admissions process in the future. We have no plans to commission any research into any links between the housing market and school places.

Primary Education: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what account has been taken of trends in and forecasts of demand for primary school places in capital allocations for primary school buildings over the next three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what financial support from his Department is available to local authorities which experience an unexpected increase in demand for primary school places; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Capital investment for primary schools is allocated by a number of factors, including pupil numbers and pupil growth. Local authorities can also request extra capital, if they have exceptional pupil growth; we have just made such allocations to four local authorities to cover the next three years. As regards unexpected increases in demand, we would expect local authorities to reprioritise within their overall capital allocations from central Government. Government support for local government investment programmes is at unprecedented levels, and includes 1.9 billion extra in the next three years through the Primary Capital Programme.

Primary Education: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what data his Department collects on the number of unplaced children due to enter their first year of primary school in September in each London borough; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Local authorities are under a duty to make sure that every child of compulsory school age has a suitable school place. However, we do not collect data about primary school offers or data about the number of unplaced children.

Primary Education: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions his Department has had with London boroughs on the provision of primary school places for September; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has had no discussions with London boroughs on the provision of primary school places for September.

Primary Education: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance and assistance his Department provides for local authorities planning for the future provision of primary school places; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which bodies are responsible for providing statistics, data and advice for local authorities planning the future provision of primary school places; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when the data sources and analytical frameworks for predicting the future demand for primary school age children by local authorities were last reviewed for their accuracy; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what factors are taken into account by his Department when forecasting future demand for primary school places; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Planning for future provision of school places is the statutory responsibility of local authorities (LAs). It is for each LA to ensure there are sufficient school places to meet the needs of the population and to review the position regularly. The Department has published guidance to help LAs make accurate projections of pupil numbers on a rolling three-year basis for school funding purposes. The guidance is available at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/schoolfunding/Resources/pupilprojectionguide/
	However, the Department is currently looking at LA forecasting methodologies for future medium and longer term pupil place requirements with a view to developing best practice guidance to help LAs forecast as accurately as possible. Each LA is responsible for researching its own advice, data and statistics for the planning of future provision.

Primary Education: Appeals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what avenues for appeal are available to parents who are not satisfied with the primary school place offered to their child for September 2008 by their local education authority's co-ordinated admissions system; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All parents that are not satisfied with their offer of a school place have the right of appeal to an independent panel, Parents can also appeal for a place at any of their preferred schools for which they did not receive an offer of a place.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was provided per pupil for schools in  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The revenue per pupil funding figure for Northamptonshire local authority for 2007-08 is 4,170. The England average for 2007-08 is 4,530. Figures are in cash terms.

Reading: Young Offenders

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what information his Department holds on the reading age of people in young offender institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Data available to the Department on young people's literacy levels in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) has improved under the roll out of the Offender Learning and Skills Service.
	Data from the Learning and Skills Council's (2006-07) initial literacy assessments on young people (for young people placed by the Youth Justice Board into YOIs) is as follows:
	1,367 young people were judged to be at Entry Level 1 or 2 (the reading age expected of five to seven-year-olds)
	2,219 young offenders were judged to be at Entry Level 3 (the reading age expected of seven to 11-year-olds)
	2,506 young offenders were judged to be at Level 1 Literacy (the reading age expected of 11 to 14-year-olds)
	976 young offenders were judged to be at Level 2 Literacy (the reading age expected of 14 to 16-year-olds)
	54 young offenders were judged to fall below Entry Level 1

Schools: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained schools asked prospective parents to make a financial contribution as part of the process of school admission in each year from 2005 to 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not routinely check the content of schools' admission arrangements as they are subject to a local consultation process. In our recent analysis of the published admission arrangements for 2008 in three local authority areas, we found that seven out of 570 schools had included a statement or request regarding financial contributions in their admission arrangements; and six of these schools confirmed this when we wrote to them asking them to verify our findings. This is a small minority, but we are very clear that schools cannot ask for a financial contribution as part of the admission process and wherever this is found to be happening we will not tolerate it. Even if voluntary, linking a charge to the school admission process suggests that parents who will pay the voluntary charge will be given priority if the school is oversubscribed.

Schools: Admissions

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the difference in the costs to local education authorities of registering a new child in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools at (i) the start of the school year and (ii) another time.

Jim Knight: The Department has not made an assessment.

Schools: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what  (a) rules,  (b) best practice guidance and  (c) financial incentives and penalties are relevant to the management of surplus school places by local authorities in (i) primary schools and (ii) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There is no 'surplus places' rule in place. However, surplus places can represent a poor use of resources, particularly where schools with surplus also have poor standards, The Department and the Audit Commission have jointly developed a toolkit for LAs and schools to help them manage surplus places in primary schools. The toolkit is available on Teachernet at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/fallingschoolrolls/
	The Department provides capital funding under TCP (targeted capital funding) and PCP (primary capital programme) to LAs for primary provision and BSF (Building Schools for the Future) to help LAs remove surplus places as part of the drive to raise standards. There are no financial penalties governing the management of surplus school places by LAs in primary or secondary schools.

Schools: Admissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  when he last assessed the effect of the 1989 Greenwich judgment on school admissions in London boroughs; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance his Department provides to local authorities and schools on compliance with the 1989 Greenwich judgment on school admissions; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether his Department has undertaken research on the impact of the 1989 Greenwich judgment on school admissions; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Fam Law 469) established that priority may not be given to children simply because they live in a local authority's administrative area. It was a sensible recognition that parents who live in one local authority area, particularly inner city areas, may be close to schools in a neighbouring authority and may wish to express a preference for those schools.
	We provide guidance on setting admission arrangements that comply with this judgment in the School Admissions Code. It states in paragraph 1.16 that each local authority must ensure that their admissions policy does not disadvantage applications to their schools from families resident in other local authorities. The Department does not routinely collect or monitor school admission arrangements centrally, and has not commissioned any research into the effects of the judgment.

Schools: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to ensure that newly built schools are  (a) minimising their gas consumption and  (b) maximising their reliance on alternative energy systems such as solar panels and photovoltaic cells.

Jim Knight: The Department requires all new school buildings to reduce carbon emissions from new school buildings by 60 per cent. through a combination of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy systems. This requirement was confirmed in the Children's Plan,
	We have developed guidance(1) to help the designers of newly built schools achieve this reduction, and are providing additional funding to all new secondary schools within BSF (Building Schools for the Future), academies and One School Pathfinder programmes for this purpose.
	The guidance encourages the use of low carbon energy sources for both heat and electricity, without being prescriptive about design solutions. The guidance is supported by a simple piece of software, to be used at the early stages in the design of new buildings, which allows designers to test the potential carbon savings and likely capital costs for combinations of technologies. Both the guidance and the software tool present biomass, heat pumps and combined heat and power as design options to reduce dependence on fossil fuels (such as natural gas), and allow users to evaluate the effect of a number of renewable sources of energy including solar panels and photovoltaic cells.
	(1) www.teachernet.gov.uk/carbontargets

Schools: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding will be available during the 2007-08 Session to refurbish schools with  (a) low carbon and  (b) sustainable energy systems.

Jim Knight: The Department will be investing 21.9 billion in new and refurbished schools over the period 2008-11. This includes 1.9 billion investment for the primary capital programme and 9.6 billion for Building Schools for the Future.
	Within the capital programme we do not earmark funding for specific measures such as low carbon or sustainable energy systems. Funding is delegated to local authorities for investment in local priorities. Local authorities, to whom we delegate the funding, are required to meet the Department's carbon reduction target for new buildings, and comply with Building Regulations and local planning requirements. So significant (but unquantifiable) sums of money will go to these purposes.

Schools: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken to improve the management of sustainable energy systems in schools built in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has published a volume of case studies of sustainable schools which highlight examples of good and bad practice, including the operation of low energy systems that have been incorporated in their design. A copy of this publication, Design of Sustainable SchoolsCase Studies, has been sent to all local authorities.
	The DCSF has also provided specific advice on energy management to all schools, not just those built in the past two years. We have prepared a good practice guide on energy and water management; a bursars' guide to sustainable school operation which focuses on energy; and developed top 10 tips to improve energy and water efficiency. Each of these documents refers users to comprehensive sources of further information.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government is responsible for Building Regulations which already require that new schools are provided with full details of the installed systems and their methods of operation and maintenance so that they use no more fuel and power than is reasonable. It is the responsibility of the construction team to produce this information.
	Ultimately the management of systems within school buildings is the responsibility of their owners and occupiers.

Schools: Isle of Wight

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much  (a) Building Schools for the Future and  (b) other capital expenditure relating to the Isle of Wight has been brought forward to (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10 from his Department's original plans.

Jim Knight: To date, no capital expenditure relating to the Isle of Wight has been brought forward to 2008-09 or 2009-10 from our original plans. The Isle of Wight and its schools are receiving capital support of 6.5 million in 2008-09 and 11.6 million in 2009-10. The increase in 2009-10 reflects an allocation of 3 million for the new Primary Capital programme, also 2 million Targeted Capital funding. In addition, the authority has a Building Schools for the Future pathfinder project which is receiving capital support of 32 million.

Schools: Offensive Weapons

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to encourage schools to use their powers to screen pupils randomly using metal detectors and conduct searches of pupils suspected of carrying a weapon.

Jim Knight: Schools are generally safe places. To help head teachers keep them safe, we gave schools in May 2007 a new power to search, without consent, any pupil whom they suspect, after random screening or otherwise, to be carrying a weapon. When issuing guidance on this new power, my Department also brought to schools' attention their existing power to screen pupils at random for weapons using screening wands or arches. The guidance set out not only the benefits but also the acknowledged risks of using either power.
	It is for head teachers to determine if and when they use these powers, based on their knowledge of their own school. The Department does not collect data on the use of these powers, nor are schools obliged to tell us when they conduct searches or if they find weapons. When a pupil is suspected of carrying a weapon, some schools may rely on the direct and immediate intervention of the local police, and we would not wish to discourage them from taking that approach.

Schools: Standards

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of classrooms in maintained schools which were out of action due to their state of disrepair at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Department does not hold information on the number of classrooms which were out of action due to their state of disrepair. The bulk of schools capital is allocated by formula to authorities and schools, so that they can address their local asset management planning priorities, including the improvement of the condition of buildings. Schools decide on the amount of revenue funding to allocate to building repairs and maintenance.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 1996-97 to 6.7 billion in 2008-09 and will rise further to 8.2 billion by 2010-11. A survey of local authorities in 2007 indicated that 27,000 classrooms had been built or improved in the 10 years from 1997, in addition to classrooms improved as part of whole-school schemes.

Special Educational Needs: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils  (a) with a special educational need,  (b) on school action,  (c) on school action plus and  (d) with a statement of special educational need are entitled to free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) : Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals by SEN provision( 2) , January 2007 England 
			   Maintained primary  Maintained secondary( 3) 
			   Total pupils( 2)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4)  Total pupils( 2)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4) 
			  SEN provision   
			 No provision 3,320,060 432,250 13.0 2,670,850 280,620 10.5 
			
			  Total number of pupils with SEN without statements 720,890 207,780 28.5 531,610 132,240 24.9 
			 School Action 485,260 133,560 27.5 365,130 85,710 23.5 
			
			 School Action Plus 243,630 74,210 30.5 166,480 46,530 28.0 
			
			 Statement of SEN 61,800 15,480 25.0 70,020 16,840 24.0 
			
			 Total SEN(5) 790,690 223,250 28.2 601,630 149,080 24.8 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. (3) Excludes City Technology Colleges and Academies. (4 )Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of number (headcount) of pupils in each SEN provision. (5) Includes pupils with statements, and those identified by schools as having SEN who do not have statements.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census.

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what methods schools and colleges may employ to select students for diploma courses; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The prime criterion for deciding whether a young person undertakes a diploma is whether it is the best option for him or her. Diplomas, along with apprenticeships and general qualifications, are an important part of ensuring the right choices are available to young people.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the number of maintained secondary schools which are entitled to but have not yet become specialist schools; and what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost of increasing the funding of these schools to the average level of schools granted specialist status.

Jim Knight: There are 343 maintained secondary schools which are not specialist, although these are not all eligible to join the programme because they do not all meet the requirements of the Specialist Schools programme. Should they all join the programme, the extra revenue cost would be around 33.3 million.

Teachers: Mathematics

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the minimum level qualification in mathematics is for a qualified teacher of mathematics in a  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average level qualification in mathematics of recently qualified teachers of mathematics in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools.

Jim Knight: The minimum qualification level required of someone entering initial teacher training (ITT) is an equivalent to a grade C GCSE in English and mathematics. Those training to teach pupils aged three to 11 must additionally have reached this standard in a science subject. This minimum standard must be reached in order to train for the primary or secondary phase and in any subject, At the end of their training, all trainees must pass the skills tests in numeracy, literacy and ICT and be awarded Qualified Teacher Status before they can be classed as a qualified teacher.
	The 2002 Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey reported that 42 per cent. of maths teachers had a relevant degree in the subject they taught and 76 per cent. had a relevant post A-level qualification. The 2007 report will be published on 29 May providing an update on these figures, There are no comparable data available for primary teachers.
	It is not possible to make an estimate of average mathematics qualifications of new teachers. Those who trained as undergraduates may have gained a mathematics degree as part of their ITT programme; some trainees may have mathematics-related qualifications that are not collected in the application process and others may have gained a Postgraduate Certificate of Education in mathematics as part of their ITT.

Teachers: Pay

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average salary of teachers in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) the South West and  (c) England was in each year since 1979.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the gross average salary, including all allowances, of full-time regular qualified teachers of all grades in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Cornwall, the south west Government office region and England and Wales for each year, where available, since 1979. Figures from 1979 to 1993 are only available for England and Wales not for teachers other than in nursery/primary and secondary schools.
	
		
			  Gross average salary, of full-time regular qualified teachers in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools( 1)  in Cornwall, the south west Government office region, England and England and Wales 
			   
			   Cornwall  South West  England  England and Wales 
			 1979 (2) (2) (2) 5,060 
			 1980 (2) (2) (2) 6,090 
			 1981 (2) (2) (2) 7,640 
			 1982 (2) (2) (2) 8,300 
			 1983 (2) (2) (2) 8,890 
			 1984 (2) (2) (2) 9,400 
			 1985 (2) (2) (2) 9,950 
			 1986 (2) (2) (2) 10,850 
			 1987 (2) (2) (2) 12,410 
			 1988 (2) (2) (2) 13,400 
			 1989 (2) (2) (2) 14,380 
			 1990 (2) (2) (2) 15,520 
			 1991 (2) (2) (2) 17,140 
			 1992 (2) (2) (2) 19,230 
			 1993 (2) (2) (2) 20,750 
			 1994 20,890 20,790 21,040 20,970 
			 1995 20,890 22,620 21,040 21,550 
			 1996 22,080 21,850 22,080 22,060 
			 1997 22,810 22,600 22,810 22,790 
			 1998 23,500 23,210 23,440 23,430 
			 1999 24,500 24,120 24,340 24,340 
			 2000 25,340 25,000 25,290 25,280 
			 2001 27,100 26,820 27,120 27,120 
			 2002 28,170 27,980 28,580 28,580 
			 2003 29,880 29,650 30,350 30,340 
			 2004 31,100 30,820 31,620 31,580 
			 2005(3) 32,380 32,050 32,800 32,790 
			 2006(3) 33,470 33,170 33,830 33,820 
			 (1) Figures up to 1993 include sixth form colleges. (2 )Not available. (3) Provisional estimates.  Source:  Database of Teacher records.

Teachers: Qualifications

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school teachers had a (i) first, (ii) upper second, (iii) lower second and (iv) third class degree in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is held for an estimated 65 per cent. of full-time regular qualified nursery/primary teachers and 74 per cent. of secondary school teachers in service in the local authority maintained sector in England. The following table provides a breakdown of the class of degree held by these teachers in March 2006, the latest for which teachers in service can be identified. Information for previous years will be less complete and therefore does not provide directly comparable information.
	
		
			  Degree class of full-time regular qualified nursery/primary and secondary teachers in England, March 2006( 1) 
			  Class of degree  Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 First class honours 4.2 4.8 
			 Upper second class honours 7.5 8.7 
			 Lower second class honours 5.2 6.4 
			 Undivided second class honours 75.8 67.9 
			 Third class honours 0.5 0.9 
			 Unclassified honours 4.5 7.6 
			 Pass 1.1 1.4 
			 Degrees awarded outside the UK 1.2 2.4 
			 Total 100.0 100.0 
			 (1) Provisional.  Source:  Database of teacher records and GTCE.

Teachers: Redundancy

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teacher redundancies there were in England in each year from 1997 to 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many applications for teacher training courses beginning in September 2008 have been made; how many were made in each of the previous five years; what assessment he has made of trends in the numbers of applications; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The total number of applications to Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in England is not available centrally. The number of applicants to mainstream postgraduate ITT is collected; however the number of applicants to mainstream undergraduate ITT courses is not available. The number of applications for employment based ITT (EBITT) is not collected centrally. The numbers of trainees recruited to all ITT courses which will commence in 2008-09 are collected by the TDA and will be published by the Department in January 2009.
	The following table show the number of applicants to mainstream postgraduate ITT courses in England for the academic year 2008-09 as at 7 May 2008, therefore this is not the final figure for applicants for 2008-09. Final data will be available in February 2009.
	
		
			   Number of applicants as at 7 May 2008 
			 Primary 17,240 
			 Middle 300 
			 Secondary 18,470 
			 Total 36,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are founded to the nearest 10. 2. Some applications for Postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and are not included in the figures. 3. Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutes covered may vary. 4. An applicant to ITT courses can make one or more application.  Source: Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of applicants to postgraduate ITT in England for entry in 2003-04 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Number of applicants to postgraduate ITT courses in England for 2003-07 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Primary 19,450 20,180 19,960 20,000 19,070 
			 Middle 750 690 680 570 470 
			 Secondary 26,520 27,300 28,360 27,450 25,170 
			 Total 46,710 48,170 48,990 48,030 44,71.0. 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Some applications for Postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and are not included in the figures. 3. Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutes covered may vary. 4. An applicant to ITT courses can make one or more application.  Source: Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) 
		
	
	The number of people accepting offers to ITT courses is a more important indicator of take up rate than applications. Year on year changes in the number of acceptances between 2003-04 and 2007-08 have broadly reflected changes in ITT recruitment targets. While acceptances on PGCE courses for 2008-09 are a few percentage points down on last year, there are also fewer places on offer. The following table shows the number of successful mainstream postgraduate applicants in England.
	
		
			  Number of acceptances to postgraduate ITT courses in England for 2003 to 2007 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Primary 8,850 9,320 9,110 8,540 8,330 
			 Middle 620 550 480 380 370 
			 Secondary 15,880 15,550 15,410 14,810 14,270 
			 Total 25,350 25,420 25,000 23,730 22,970 
			  Source: Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) 
		
	
	The figures are published on the GTTR website at:
	http://www.gttr.ac.uk/stats.html

Teachers: Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of newly-qualified teachers did not take up a teaching position in each of the last five years; what the average cost of training a teacher was in that period; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the percentage of teachers who achieved qualified teacher status in England in each calendar year from 2001 to 2005 who were not recorded as being in teaching service of any description in England and Wales by the following March. Figures for 2004 and 2005 are provisional and may overestimate the percentage who were not in service as a result of the late receipt of information.
	Analysis of figures for earlier years shows that over 90 per cent. of teachers who achieve qualified teacher status enter teaching service of some description eventually.
	
		
			  Number of teachers achieving qualified teacher status (QTS)( 1)  in England by calendar year who were not in service in England or Wales( 2)  by the following March 
			  Year of qualification  Percentage not in service 
			 2001 17.7 
			 2002 16.4 
			 2003 18.7 
			 2004(3) 19.5 
			 2005(3) 21.6 
			 (1) Includes teachers achieving QTS through college and employment based routes. (2) Teachers in service include those in full or part-time service in England and Wales in the maintained sector, independent and the further or higher education. A small number of teachers may not be recorded in service who are teaching in institutions in England and Wales that are not part of the Teachers Pensions Scheme or who have gone into teaching service in Northern Ireland, Scotland or overseas. (3) Provisional.  Source: Database of Teachers Records and GTOE 
		
	
	Information on how much it costs an initial teacher training (ITT) provider to train a teacher is not available centrally. The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) allocates and pays funding to providers but it is a matter for them to determine how they deploy that funding and other income received by them for the provision of teacher training,.
	To provide an indication of costs, the following table shows the unit of funding allocated and paid by the TDA in academic year (AY) 2007-08 for a one-year mathematics, one-year science and, by the way of comparison, a one-year geography postgraduate ITT course. This is the national rate and rates for London based ITT will be higher (5 per cent. higher for outer London and 8 per cent. higher for inner London). Training bursaries are available for some subjects.
	
		
			   
			  Subject  Unit of Funding  Bursary 
			 Science 5,630 9,000 
			 Maths 5,060 9,000 
			 Other Secondary 4,900 6,000 
		
	
	In addition to the funding paid by the TDA, providers can also charge up to 3,070 (dependant on their access agreement) in tuition fees from individual trainees. Also trainees will be entitled to apply for loans to cover fees and loans and grants for maintenance as part of the standard student support arrangements.

Teachers: Vacancies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching posts in maintained schools in England were vacant at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The latest available information shows that there were 2,510 teaching posts vacant in January 2008, This figure can be found in table 6 of the Statistical First Release 'School Workforce in England' at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000787/index .shtml

Teachers: Vacancies

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching posts in maintained schools in  (a) Greater London and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley were vacant at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The latest available information shows that there were 530 vacancies in London and there were 14 vacancies in the London borough of Bexley in January 2007. These figures can be found in table 19 of the Statistical First Release 'School Workforce in England' at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000743/index .shtml

Young People

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2008,  Official Report, column 405W, whether each of the two staff are receiving at least one day of training or education each week.

Kevin Brennan: My answer of 12 March explained that the Department employed two full time staff who were under 18 years of age, However the current position is that one left the Department on 31 March and the other is now over 18 years of age. Records of specific time spent on training or education, including day release, are not kept centrally; however inquiries indicate full induction and appropriate levels of training, including on-the-job training for the specific posts held, amounting to at least an average of one day a week training or education,
	The Department is committed to encouraging young people to have the best possible start to their working lives and staff are directed to guidance on support for time off for study or training on the Department's main website.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games: China

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2007,  Official Report, column 758W, on Olympic Games: China, what specific exceptions the Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee referred to during discussions on their commitment to the free movement of accredited and non-accredited journalists.

Tessa Jowell: Media regulations implemented in China on 1 January 2007 apply to all foreign correspondents. The regulations temporarily lift restrictions on travel and the requirement to seek official permission for interviews up to and during the Olympics. We regularly urge the Chinese government to ensure the regulations are fully implemented in all regions (including Tibet), that they remain in place after the Olympics and be extended to China's domestic journalists.

Olympic Games: China

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1059, on the Beijing Olympic Games, what assessment she has made of China's compliance with its commitment to the International Olympic Committee to ensure the free movement of accredited and non-accredited journalists in the run-up to the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: We welcomed the media regulations implemented in China on 1 January 2007 for foreign correspondents that temporarily lift restrictions on travel and the requirement to seek official permission for interviews up to and during the Olympics. We regularly urge the Chinese government to ensure the regulations are fully implemented in all regions (including Tibet), that they will remain in place after the Olympics and be extended to China's domestic journalists. The Foreign Secretary did so most recently during his visit to China in February. I raised this during my last visit to Beijing in November 2007, when I also mentioned the practical effect of the arrangements with British journalists resident in Beijing. I continue to raise this, most recently during the Chinese Minister for Information's visit to the UK in March.

Olympic Games: China

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many Government officials will accompany her to the Beijing Olympic Games; what the purpose of each individual's attendance is; and what estimate she has made of the costs associated with such attendance.

Tessa Jowell: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library.
	I will be accompanied by one Private Secretary to both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. I will also be working closely with the officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including press officers and staff from the Government Olympic Executive.
	I would also refer the hon. Member to the answer being given to him today by my hon. Friend the Minister of Sport about attendance at the Beijing Games.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in the House of Commons in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: The House at present has three full-time advanced apprentices in the Craft Team within the Facilities Department. Currently, one apprentice (hot-water fitter) is working on NVQ level 3 and the two others (carpenter/joiners) are working on NVQ level 2.
	For the past five years the House has also run a 'pre-apprenticeship scheme' sponsored by Mr. Speaker. This scheme offers students from Southwark, an opportunity to spend one day per week for one school year in a work area of their choice. The scheme is being further developed for October 2008 so that the students who come to the Housearound 10 to 12 per yearwill spend two years here rather than one and will complete the first level of a modern apprenticeship.

Amendment Papers: Internet

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will take steps to ensure that all amendments to Bills are published on the Parliamentary internet site before 8:30 am on days on which those bills are to be considered in Committee or at report stage; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The present agreement with the electronic services provider to the House allows for up to eight amendment papers to be published progressively on the internet site between 7.30 am and 9.30 am, with any remaining amendment papers published progressively thereafter. The agreement recognises that not everything can be published at the same time without incurring disproportionate costs, but does allow for publishing according to priorities set by the House. Amendment papers relating to committee or report stage for bills to be considered on the day of publication of the amendment paper are given priority. While it is not possible under the agreement to guarantee that any particular amendment paper in this category will be published by 8.30 am, an examination of the records of uploading times since January 2008 reveals that in fact 70 per cent. of all amendment papers published in the period, including those for future days, were made available on the parliamentary website before 8.30 am. As a recent example, the amendment paper for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill for Monday 19 May, for consideration that day in Committee of the Whole House, was published on the website at 7.37 am.

Members: Allowances

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement on the High Court decision in relation to the details of hon. Members' allowances; whether a further appeal is planned against the decision; and how much has been spent on legal and tribunal proceedings in relation to disclosure of hon. Members' allowances since the commencement of the matter.

Nick Harvey: The House has decided not to seek leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the judgment of the divisional court of 16 May 2008. The cost of this litigation up to 20 May 2008 is 82,673. This figure includes charges up to that date not yet invoiced to the House of Commons. There may be further charges.
	The House has been ordered to pay the costs of the other litigants. The final figure is not yet established, but court has ordered payment of an interim figure of 39,363.
	The breakdown of figures including VAT for other FOI cases related to Members' expenses and allowances charged to the House of Commons as at 30 April 2008 comprise:
	
		
			
			 Treasury solicitor (TSol) legal fees 35,776.99 
			 Disbursements (couriers/travel/counsel's fees) 13,070.32 
			 Total 48,847.00 
		
	
	Although additional charges may be made to these latter accounts, they are unlikely to rise significantly beyond this total. Within these figures, the legal cost of the tribunal case in February 2007 relating to travel expenses has been given as 17,232 as announced in my previous answer on 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1374W.

Members: Home Addresses

Julian Lewis: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether incoming mail for hon. Members will continue to be screened at the House after the home addresses of hon. Members have been published; what arrangements will be made to screen incoming mail sent directly to hon. Members' home addresses  (a) at those addresses and  (b) at the House after re-routing; what estimate he has made of the costs of such screening arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: All incoming mail for hon. Members will continue to be comprehensively screened prior to arrival at the House. Any additional screening would incur some extra cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Work

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential for decentralising departmental work to local offices otherwise planned for closure.

Stephen Timms: In reviewing our network of local offices, we have in a number of cases identified opportunities for decentralisation and implemented them. We have not been willing, however, to decentralise work merely to keep sites open; our key concern is to improve both efficiency and service quality.

Disabled Employees

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to encourage employers to employ those with disabilities.

Anne McGuire: We have already done a great deal to improve employment opportunities for disabled people. The Disability Discrimination Act requires an employer not to discriminate against disabled people who work for them or who apply for a job.
	However, we want to do more to encourage employers to increase employment opportunities for disabled people.
	As part of our employer engagement strategy, we are working with a number of employers and other organisations to overcome the barriers that disabled people face in getting and keeping jobs.

Pensioner Poverty

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of pensioners in poverty.

Mike O'Brien: In 1996-97, 2.9 million pensioners were living in relative poverty, after housing costs. Measures such as pension credit have helped reduce this number by over a million to 1.8 million in 2005-06. I have today placed in the Library a fact sheet containing projections of entitlement to pension credit, and other income-related benefits, up to 2050.

Social Fund

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the operation of the social fund.

James Plaskitt: We continue to modernise and improve the social fund. Since April 2003, investment has been increased by 300 million. Over the last year, over 2.8 million discretionary loans and grants were awarded, to the value of 770 million.
	We are currently exploring ways to achieve a radical reform of the budgeting loans scheme.

New Deal

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the merits of extending the new deal for musicians.

Stephen Timms: From October next year, the flexible new deal will replace today's mandatory new deals, including new deal for musicians. Flexible new deal providers will be free to incorporate elements of new deal for musicians if this is the best way to address a jobseeker's individual needs. Ahead of that, we are reviewing plans for new deal for musicians.

Lone Parents

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to increase the support available to lone parents in work.

Stephen Timms: Sustainability in employment is vital in helping individuals move into jobs. We are providing additional support for working lone parents including, since April, the national roll out of In Work Credit, an In Work Discretion Fund and In Work Advisory Support.
	The availability of affordable child care is also vital to enabling sustained parental employment. Since 1997, the Government have invested over 21 billion on early years and child care from around 1.2 billion in 1997-98 to around 4.4 billion in 2005-06.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who will be subject to means-testing for the minimum income guarantee in 2050.

Mike O'Brien: Our reforms make the state pension a much stronger platform with better coverage. As a result the proportion of pensioner households entitled to guarantee credit is projected to drop from 30 per cent. today to 15 per cent. in 2050.

Foreign Nationals: Employment

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many foreign nationals were employed in the UK in the last quarter for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: There were 2.3 million foreign nationals in employment in the first quarter of this calendar year, around 8 per cent. of the record number of people in work.

Barclays Bank

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department had with Barclays Bank in each year since 1997; and what the value of those contracts was.

James Plaskitt: Since 1999 the Department has had a contract with Barclays Bank plc for the provision of the Government procurement card. As the Department settles its monthly account within the agreed timescale, there are no fees associated with this contract.

Child Support Agency: Correspondence

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Child Support Agency will respond to the hon. Member for Cotswold's communications on his constituent Carol Rendell, case 323964324523.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 2 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Child Support Agency would respond to your communications on your constituent, Carol Rendell, case 323964324523.
	As details about individual cases are confidential, I have written to you separately about this case.

Children: Maintenance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve the exchange of information between the Child Support Agency and HM Revenue and Customs in relation to the assessment of child maintenance entitlement and payments.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 16 May 2008
	Current legislation allows for the disclosure by HMRC of information needed for any of a number of child support purposes, including to enable the assessment/calculation of child maintenance liabilities. The Child Support Agency continues to work day to day with HMRC and has recently agreed an enhanced process for the exchange of national insurance contributions information when required by the Agency. This is in addition to HMRC's powers to disclose information relating to the earnings of self-employed non-resident parents and information held for the purposes of functions relating to tax credits or child benefit.
	Both Departments are currently working together in preparation for the move to base maintenance assessments on HMRC data as proposed in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill.

Children: Poverty

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were in absolute low-income households in each year since 1997; and what proportion of all children these figures represented in each such year, broken down by age.

Stephen Timms: The most common measure of low income used to capture poverty is individuals living in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, adjusted to take account of family size and composition. Analysis of low-income households can be found in the annual National Statistics publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI).
	The Government's preferred measure of absolute low income poverty is defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 60 per cent. of the 1998-99 median income held constant in real terms.
	Available information is shown in the following tables.
	Children have been split by age into four age bands. This is in line with the age breakdown presented in the HBAI publication.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of children in absolute low income households (before housing costs) 
			  Coverage   Number of children (millions) 
			 GB 1997-98 3.5 
			
			 UK 1998-99 3.4 
			  1999-2000 3.1 
			  2000-01 2.5 
			  2001-02 2.0 
			  2002-03 1.8 
			  2003-04 1.8 
			  2004-05 1.7 
			  2005-06 1.6 
			  Source:  Households Below Average Income, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of children in absolute low income households (after housing costs) 
			  Coverage   Number of children (millions) 
			 GB 1997-98 4.4 
			
			 UK 1998-99 4.4 
			  1999-2000 4.1 
			  2000-01 3.6 
			  2001-02 3.0 
			  2002-03 2.7 
			  2003-04 2.5 
			  2004-05 2.3 
			  2005-06 2.4 
			  Source:  Households Below Average Income, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Children in absolute low income households as a proportion of all children and by specific age bands (before housing costs) 
			  Percentage 
			Age 
			  Coverage   0 to 4  5 to 10  11 to 15  16 to 18  All children 
			 GB 1997-98 8 10 7 2 28 
			  1998-99 8 10 7 2 26 
			  1999-2000 7 8 6 2 23 
			  2000-01 6 6 6 2 19 
			  2001-02 4 5 5 1 15 
			
			 UK 2002-03 4 4 4 2 14 
			  2003-04 4 4 5 1 14 
			  2004-05 3 4 4 1 13 
			  2005-06 3 4 4 1 13 
			  Source:  Households Below Average Income, 1997-98 to 2005-06 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Children in absolute low income households as a proportion of all children and by specific age bands (after housing costs) 
			  Percentage 
			Age 
			  Coverage   0 to 4  5 to 10  11 to 15  16 to 18  All children 
			 GB 1997-98 10 13 9 3 34 
			  1998-99 10 12 9 3 34 
			  1999-00 10 10 8 2 31 
			  2000-01 8 9 8 2 27 
			  2001-02 7 8 7 2 23 
			
			 UK 2002-03 6 7 6 2 21 
			  2003-04 6 6 6 2 20 
			  2004-05 5 5 6 2 18 
			  2005-06 6 6 5 2 19 
			  Notes:  1. The reference period for households below average income figures is single financial years.  2. A child is defined as anyone aged under 16 or an unmarried 16 to 18-year-old in full-time non-advanced education.  3. The information shown in Tables 1 and 2 is for the United Kingdom from 1998-99 to 2005-06, and for Great Britain for 1997-98. Data for Northern Ireland has been imputed for 1998-99 to 2001-02. The information shown in Tables 3 and 4 is for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 to 2005-06, and for Great Britain for 1997-98 to 2001-02, as data for Northern Ireland has only been imputed for the headline statistics.  4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  5. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors.  6. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. This means that after housing cost incomes will generally be lower than before housing cost.  7. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children, while proportions of children have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. Ages have been split into four bands because of sample sizes. Total numbers of children are in line with National Statistics mid-year estimates.  8. Small year-on-year movements should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.  Source:  Households Below Average Income, 1997-98 to 2005-06

Children: Poverty

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children living in relative poverty were in families with  (a) three or more children and  (b) four or more children in each year since 1997; and what proportion of (i) children in poverty and (ii) all children these figures represented in each such year.

Stephen Timms: The most common measure of low income used to capture poverty and the measure preferred by the Government is individuals living in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, adjusted to take account of family size and composition. Analysis of low-income households can be found in the annual National Statistics publication, Households Below Average Income (HBAI).
	Available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of children in relative low income households (Before Housing Costs) 
			Number of children in the family 
			Three or more  Four or more 
			  Coverage   Number in relative low income households (millions)  Percentage of all children in relative low income households  Percentage of all children  Number in relative low income households (millions)  Percentage of all children in relative low income house holds  Percentage of all children 
			 GB 1997-98 1.7 49 13 0.7 22 6 
			  1998-99 1.7 50 13 0.7 22 6 
			  1999-2000 1.5 47 12 0.7 22 6 
			  2000-01 1.4 46 11 0.6 21 5 
			  2001-02 1.3 45 10 0.6 19 4 
			 UK 2002-03 1.3 44 10 0.5 18 4 
			  2003-04 1.2 42 9 0.5 19 4 
			  2004-05 1.1 41 9 0.5 20 4 
			  2005-06 1.1 41 9 0.5 17 4 
			  Source:  Households Below Average Income, 1997-98 to 2005-06. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number and proportion of children in relative low income households (After Housing Costs) 
			Number of children in the family 
			Three or more  Four or more 
			  Coverage   Number in relative low income households (millions)  Percentage of all children in relative low income households  Percentage of all children  Number in relative low income households (millions)  Percentage of all children in relative low income households  Percentage of all children 
			 GB 1997-98 1.9 45 15 0.8 19 6 
			  1998-99 2.0 45 15 0.8 19 6 
			  1999-2000 1.9 45 15 0.8 20 7 
			  2000-01 1.7 44 14 0.7 18 5 
			  2001-02 1.7 43 13 0.7 18 5 
			 UK 2002-03 1.6 41 12 0.6 16 5 
			  2003-04 1.5 40 12 0.7 18 5 
			  2004-05 1.4 39 11 0.6 17 5 
			  2005-06 1.4 38 11 0.6 15 4 
			  Notes:  1. The reference period for HBAI figures is single financial years.  2. A child is defined as anyone aged under 16 or an unmarried 16 to 18-year-old in full-time non-advanced education.  3. A family is defined as a single adult or a couple living as married and any dependant children.  4. The information shown in Tables 1 and 2 is for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 to 2005-06, and for Great Britain for 1997-98 to 2001-02.  5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.  6. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors.  7. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost and After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Cost they are. This means that After Housing Cost incomes will generally be lower than Before Housing Cost.  8. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children, while proportions of children have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.  9. Small year-on-year movements should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.   Source:  Households Below Average Income, 1997-98 to 2005-06.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies were disciplined or dismissed for (i) breaches of data protection requirements and (ii) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Information on numbers of staff disciplined or dismissed for (i) breaches of data protection requirements and (ii) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data is not available in the format requested.
	The Department introduced a new personnel computer system incrementally from November 2006, being fully implemented by April 2007.
	Since April 2007 disciplinary action for breaches of data protection requirements, and inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data, has been recorded under a general heading of disclosure of information. To extract more detailed information from individual records under this category would be at disproportionate cost.
	The number of staff recorded as disciplined for disclosure of information is given in the following table. There are currently no records held on the system for dismissals on grounds of disclosure of information.
	
		
			  Disciplinary category Disclosure of Information April 2007 to Mar 2008by agency 
			   Disciplined 
			 Child Support Agency 1 
			 The Pension Service 2 
			 Jobcentre Plus 12 
			 Disability and Carers Service 4 
			 Corporate Centre 1

Employment: Lone Parents

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to support lone parents in seeking work.

Stephen Timms: Lone parents already have access to a comprehensive package of measures via new deal for lone parents or new deal plus for lone parents pilots to encourage them to improve their employment opportunities and gain independence through working.
	We recently announced additional support from April 2008 to help more lone parents make the transition into employment including the national roll out of in work credit, an in work discretion fund, in work advisory support and work focused pre-employment training.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Disabled

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what role the Equality and Human Rights Commission has to deal with inquiries from the public purse about disability matters; how much funding it has to deal with such inquiries in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 6 February 2008
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission (the Commission) runs a helpline for members of the public which includes disability inquiries. The amount allocated to this service for members of the public with disability inquiries for the six months from 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 is approximately 0.5 million.
	The Commission has a specific power under section 16 of the Equality Act 2006 to initiate inquiries into disability and other equality, discrimination and human rights issues. The Commission is currently considering a number of proposals for inquiries. The provisions in the Equality Act 2006 require the Commission to consult those affected, on the inquiry's proposed terms of reference in advance of these being made public. The Commission has an overall budget for the six months from 1 October 2007 until 31 March 2008 of 30 million. Within this budget there is scope for the Commission to use all of its powers including inquiries and formal investigations.

Means Tested Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what target his Department has set on increasing take-up of each income-related benefit in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely trend in the take-up rate of  (a) pension credit,  (b) council tax benefit,  (c) disability living allowance,  (d) attendance allowance,  (e) income support,  (f) housing benefit and  (g) jobseeker's allowance over the next three years.

James Plaskitt: The only income-related benefit for which the Department has an explicit take-up target for 2008-09 is pension credit. As published in a written ministerial statement on 27 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 20-22WS, the take-up target for 2008-09 is to deliver an annualised value of new successful pension credit applications of 767 million and to secure at least 250,000 successful new pension credit applications. The target for later years will be set in due course.
	Housing benefit and council tax benefit are administered by local authorities, and estimates of take-up at local authority level are not available. There are no take-up targets for the other income related benefits because these are out of work benefits and the Government's policy is that, wherever possible, people should be in work.
	For planning purposes, for pension credit, council tax benefit, income support, housing benefit and jobseeker's allowance we assume that the proportion entitled who will receive benefit remains broadly constant; for pension credit this is consistent with the 2008-09 targets. Estimates of take-up are not known for disability living allowance or attendance allowance.

Occupational Pensions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of members of defined-benefit occupational pension schemes that  (a) have wound up and  (b) have been in the process of winding up since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The following information was provided by the pensions regulator:
	 (a) Records show that 7659 defined benefit occupational schemes have a 'wound up' status with an effective date of 2 April 1997 or later.
	 (b) Records show that 1012 defined benefit schemes have a 'winding up' status with an effective date of 2 April 1997 or later.
	 Notes:
	1. A wound up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has completed winding up procedures.
	2. A winding up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has commenced winding up procedures.
	3. The data supplied by the pensions regulator is current as at 30 April 2008.
	4. Total membership includes active, deferred and pensioner members.

Pension Credit

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to process  (a) a successful and  (b) an unsuccessful pension credit application was in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by Pension Service office.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit applications March 2008 
			  Pension Centre  Average actual clearance time (days) 
			 Burnley 10.6 
			 Cwmbran 9.3 
			 Dundee 10.7 
			 Leicester 12.8 
			 Motherwell 12.3 
			 London 12.5 
			 Seaham 12.6 
			 Stockport 20 
			 Swansea 16.8 
			 Warrington 11.6 
			  Notes:  1. Separate data on average processing times for successful and unsuccessful Pension Credit applications is not available.  2. Birmingham caseload transferred to Stockport Pension Centre February 2008.  3. Only working days are counted. 4. the average Actual Clearance Time is measured from the date on which all evidence is received to enable a decision to be made.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Management Information.

Pension Credit

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what rules are in place relating to the treatment of inherited assets by claimants for the purposes of pension credit and income support; and whether those rules allow claimants to dispose of any of those assets to charities or others without penalty.

James Plaskitt: In all the income-related benefits, which include pension credit and income support, income and capital, including that which has been inherited are taken into account in the calculation of benefit. Rules allow the decision maker to take into account any resources that a person may have deprived themselves of in order to secure, retain or increase entitlement to an income-related benefit
	If the decision maker determines that a person has deprived themselves of capital, which could include spending money on luxury items, giving money to charities, family members or others, that person will be treated as still possessing that capital when assessing entitlement to benefit.
	Within pension credit, assessed income periods for those recipients aged 65 or over were introduced to reduce the level of intrusion sometimes associated with income related benefits. The assessed income period is currently a specific period up to five years, during which time the customer does not have to report any changes to their retirement provision, by which we mean income from capital, annuities and pensions. During an assessed income period receipt of an inheritance would not generally need to be reported. When the assessed income period comes to an end, customers need to provide evidence and information on their current income and capital, in the same way that they do at the start of a claim so that their entitlement can be re-assessed before another assessed income period can be set.

Pension Credit: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the take-up of pension credit; how many pensioners in Stroud constituency receive pension credit; and what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in Stroud constituency who are entitled to receive pension credit.

Mike O'Brien: The Pension Service continues to undertake a wide range of activities to encourage people to claim the pension credit they are entitled to, including data matching to identify those who may be eligible but who are not receiving benefits, home visits for vulnerable customers and ever closer working with partner organisations, including local authorities.
	Last December I announced a package of measures to further simplify the benefit system which includes enabling claims to housing benefit and council tax benefit made over the phone with pension credit, to be forwarded directly to the local authority without the need for a signature.
	The Pension Service Local Service team in Gloucestershire works in a joint working partnership with Gloucestershire local authority, and works closely with a local Stroud partnership called Village Agents' which provides a holistic benefit take-up service across the Stroud area.
	There are currently 3,860 pensioner households4,690 individualsreceiving pension credit in Stroud. However, estimates of eligibility are not available below the level of Great Britain. It is therefore not possible to say how many pensioners are eligible to receive Pension Credit in Stroud constituency.
	 Notes:
	1. The figures provided are early estimates. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure, which is taken from the QMS scan at 28 February 2008. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and QMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
	2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.
	3. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.

Pensions: Forecasts

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the provision of state pension forecasts for individuals, with particular reference to the timing of the provision of forecasts.

Mike O'Brien: Pension forecasts, provided by The Pension, Disability and Carers Service are available as follows:
	On request, either provided in writing or via the web-service. On receipt of a request from a customer by telephone or letter, The Pension, Disability and Carers Service will usually send a written State Pension Forecast within 10 days. The web-based service provides instant on-line pension forecasts to customers.
	Combined Pension Forecasts (CPF), which contain an estimate of state pension together with an illustration of occupational or personal pension, offer a more complete picture of potential pension entitlement. They are issued as part of the participating schemes annual statement timetable.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 April 2008,  Official Repor t, column 1844W, to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley)

State Retirement Pensions

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to provide state pension forecasts for people expecting to retire after April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 22 May 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1844W, to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley).

State Retirement Pensions: Males

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of men over state pension age who will be entitled to the full basic state pension in each year until 2050.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 22 May 2008
	 The information requested can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of men entitled to full basic state pension  As a proportion of men over state pension age (percentage) 
			 2008 3.7 87 
			 2009 3.7 87 
			 2010 3.9 87 
			 2011 4.0 88 
			 2012 4.2 89 
			 2013 4.4 89 
			 2014 4.5 90 
			 2015 4.6 90 
			 2016 4.7 90 
			 2017 4.9 91 
			 2018 5.0 91 
			 2019 5.1 92 
			 2020 5.2 92 
			 2021 5.3 92 
			 2022 5.4 93 
			 2023 5.6 93 
			 2024 5.6 93 
			 2025 5.6 93 
			 2030 6.1 94 
			 2035 6.5 94 
			 2040 6.7 94 
			 2045 6.6 94 
			 2050 6.7 94 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are presented in millions and rounded to the nearest 100,000 or whole percentage point. 2. Estimates of state pension receipt or pension income are presented at individual level and relate to the United Kingdom. 3. Estimates refer to the number of people at or over SPA estimated to be entitled to some BSP in each year to 2050, estimates are only available for every fifth year from 2025. 4. Figures include deferrers and refer to entitlement not receipt of BSP. Some people may be entitled but not be in receipt of a pension because they have chosen to defer their entitlement.  Source: Projections from DWP Forecasting Division using the Government Actuary's Department's Retirement Pension Model.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many abortions took place in each year since 1978;
	(2)  how many requests for abortions were not approved by doctors in each year since 1978; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The information is shown in the following table. Data are not held centrally on the number of requests for an abortion that are turned down.
	
		
			  Legal abortions: 1978 to 2006England and Wales, residents and non-residents 
			   Total 
			 1978 141,558 
			 1979 149,746 
			 1980 160,903 
			 1981 162,480 
			 1982 163,045 
			 1983 162,161 
			 1984 169,993 
			 1985 171,873 
			 1986 172,286 
			 1987 174,276 
			 1988 183,798 
			 1989 183,974 
			 1990 186,912 
			 1991 179,522 
			 1992 172,069 
			 1993 168,714 
			 1994 166,876 
			 1995 163,638 
			 1996 177,495 
			 1997 179,746 
			 1998 187,402 
			 1999 183,250 
			 2000 185,375 
			 2001 186,274 
			 2002 185,385 
			 2003 190,660 
			 2004 194,498 
			 2005 194,353 
			 2006 201,173 
			  Notes: 1. 2007 data will be published in June 2008. 2. 2008 data are still being collected and will be published in 2009.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he  (a) is taking and  (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to provide patients seeking an abortion with access to the information they need to make an informed decision about their abortion, with particular reference to psychological problems associated with abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in its evidence-based guideline 'The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion' (2004) states that professionals involved in abortion services should be equipped to provide women with the information they need, including accurate knowledge about possible complications and sequelae of abortion, in order to give genuinely informed consent.
	We have commissioned the RCOG to review its guideline. In addition, we are working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to discuss whether further work needs to be undertaken in this area.

Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on public awareness campaigns about the health implications of excessive alcohol consumption in each of last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: We have financial information on Government alcohol expenditure from 2002-03. Figures for previous years were held on a financial system, which is no longer accessible.
	
		
			  Alcohol expenditure  from 2002-03 
			   million 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1) 
			 Awareness raising   0.10 0.05 0.34 0.06 1.9 1.3 6.0 
			 Home Office   2.0 3.5 4.0 
			 (1) Planned

Anti-depressants

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research  (a) his Department and  (b) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has evaluated on the effect of anti-depressant selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on immune systems.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not commissioned research on the effect of anti-depressant selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on immune systems.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued a clinical guideline for the national health service on the management of depression in primary and secondary care. This guideline, along with the evidence NICE considered in developing it can be found at:
	www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byIDo=10958
	Clinical trials submitted at the time of licensing have examined the safety and efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These data are carefully evaluated by the independent scientific advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) prior to licensing to ensure that the products work and are acceptably safe. The longer term safety of the use of SSRIs in routine clinical practice is closely monitored by MHRA including reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) submitted by health professionals through the 'Yellow Card' Scheme. All new data, including data relating to the effects of SSRIs on immune system disorders, are carefully evaluated. Where appropriate, product information for prescribers and patients is updated and advice issued.
	As with all effective medicines, SSRIs may cause side effects in some individuals and it is recognised that SSRIs can rarely cause hypersensitivity reactions including rashes, angioedema (swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, mouth or tongue) and anaphylaxis (a severe hypersensivity reaction that can cause difficulty with breathing). This is reflected in the product information for both prescribers and patients and their use is contra-indicated in patients that are known to be hypersensitive to the drug substance.

Bone Diseases: Medical Treatments

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on anti-tumour necrosis factor treatments for ankylosing spondylitis to be issued; and what the reasons are for the time taken to issue that guidance.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published final guidance on anti-tumour necrosis factor treatments for ankylosing spondylitis on 28 May 2008. Full information about this appraisal, including a timeline for its development, is on NICE'S website at:
	www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byIDo=11688

Cancer

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the statement made by Baroness Thornton on 30 April 2008, House of Lords  Official Report, column GC70, on the Health and Social Care Bill, for what reasons the National Institute for Heath and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) interventional procedures guidance is included in the consultation document; for what reasons NICE's cancer guidance service is not included; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: On 25 March the Department launched a consultation seeking views on the future framework for the registration of health and social care providers. The consultation runs until 17 June.
	In the consultation document, the reference to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance issued through its interventional procedure programme is an example of the evidence the new Care Quality Commission will use assess compliance with registration requirements. The examples put forward in the document are not intended to be comprehensive.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through Parliament, once it is established, the Care Quality Commission will develop and consult on guidance on a new methodology and compliance criteria to assess whether providers meet and continue to achieve the requirements for registration.

Cancer: Research

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Government funding was provided for medical and health research into cancer in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the health and medical research budget this represented in each year.

Ann Keen: holding answer 19 May 2008
	The information requested in respect of the Department's research and development (R and D) expenditure is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Expenditure as a percentage of total departmental R and D budget   million 
			 2002-03 23 124 
			 2003-04 25 140 
			 2004-05 24 150 
			 2005-06 26 168 
			 2006-07 23 161 
		
	
	The Medical Research Council and other research councils funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills also invest significantly in cancer research.

Cannabis: Rehabilitation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females sought medical help for cannabis addiction in each of the last three years, broken down by (i) age group and (ii) health authority area;
	(2)  what programmes for treating cannabis addiction his Department funds; what plans he has to revise the range of programmes funded; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what drugs are available on the NHS to treat cannabis addiction; which drugs were available in each of the last five years; when these drugs were last reviewed by his Department; how much was spent by his Department on these drugs in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on those being treated for cannabis misuse is not available in the format requested. The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) publish information from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) on the numbers of people in structured drug treatment; however, this information is not broken down by sex or by health authority.
	NDTMS data shows that in 2003-04 10,096 people received structured drug treatment for cannabis misuse and in 2004-05 13,408 people received structured drug treatment for cannabis misuse. The NTA will be publishing data for 2005-06 and 2006-07 this summer. Prior to 2003-04 the numbers of clients receiving drug treatment were based on estimates.
	The majority of drug treatment services are not specific to any one type of drug, responding to the needs of the individual client regardless of the type of drug they are addicted to. As with current drug treatment services, the introduction of any new service or programme must be based on clinical evidence; this includes any new services or programmes to treat cannabis addiction.
	It is the responsibility of drug action teams (DATs) to commission drug treatment services in their areas in line with local needs. DATs are local partnerships, combining representatives from local authorities, health, probation, prison service and the voluntary sector, and are responsible for delivering the Government's drug strategy at a local level. DATs have the best understanding of the local needs and priorities of their populations and ensure that the work of local agencies is brought together effectively and that cross-agency projects are co-ordinated successfully.
	While figures for the proportion of clients in treatment whose primary drug of dependence is cannabis are not available the number of drug users receiving treatment have increased from 85,000 in 1998 to 195,000 in 2006-07 and the numbers of drug users remaining in treatment has also risen. Drug treatment services have had a real impact, positively benefiting both drug users and the wider community; drug related deaths have decreased and the level of crime associated with drug misuse has fallen substantially.
	Since 2001-02, the Department of Health and the Home Office have provided specific resources for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB). This is allocated to the 149 DATs across the country to use alongside local mainstream funding, to provide treatment and services according to specific local needs. The level of Government investment for substance misuse treatment within the pooled treatment budget is 398 million for 2008-09, which is also the indicative figure for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The Department does not intend the funding made available through the PTB to represent the totality of funding for any area. Rather, it is designed to supplement mainstream funds and to encourage investment in improving treatment capacity and effectiveness.
	The latest evidence-based approaches to treating problematic cannabis use, in both adults and young people, are outlined in the joint departmental and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse publication, Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, published in September 2007, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline 51Drug Misuse: Psychosodal Interventions. Treatment for cannabis addiction is expected to be in line with these guidelines.
	There are no specific substitute medicines available for treatment of cannabis dependence, although medication may be used to treat various related symptoms. The Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management guideline states that
	clinicians should consider psychosocial interventions, especially brief motivational interventions in mild cases while more heavily dependent misusers may require structured treatment with keyworking.

Cannabis: Young People

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the particular risks to teenage boys associated with smoking cannabis.

Dawn Primarolo: In July 2007 the peer-reviewed results of a Department commissioned systematic review of studies into the mental health harms of cannabis use were published in  The Lancet, volume 370, Issue 9584, 28 July 2007, Pages 319-328, titled 'Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes: a systematic review'.
	Reducing the harms caused by smoking cannabis is one of the priorities in the Government's new drug Strategy Drugs: Protecting families and communities. The 2008 Drug Strategy. Steps have already been taken, through the FRANK campaign, to ensure that young people understand the risks and dangers of cannabis. Copies of the Strategy are available in the Library.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) keeps the evidence available on the harms of cannabis and other drugs under review. In July 2007 the ACMD were asked by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to reassess the medical and social scientific basis of the classification of cannabis in the light of 'real public concern about the potential mental health effects of cannabis use'.
	The ACMD sent their report, outlining its recommendations for cannabis classification, to the Home Secretary on 28 April 2008. The ACMD have looked in detail at the latest evidence on the health harms of cannabis, including the risks to young people, and their report sets out their assessment and recommendations.

Care Homes: Inspections

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change in fees charged by the Commission for Social Care and Inspection to residential homes was in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: In 2004-05, the first year of existence of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), its fees (annual fees and registration fees) were increased over the level charged by its predecessor body, the National Care Standards Commission, by an average of 20 per cent. Subsequently, CSCI fees have been increased by 20 per cent. in 2005-06 and 15 per cent. in 2006-07. No increases were made for 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Clear

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2854W, on Clear, if he will place copies of the invoices in the Library.

Ben Bradshaw: Copies of the invoices totalling 12,450.72 have been placed in the Library.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department achieved in efficiency savings in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has reported the following efficiency savings under the Gershon programme:
	
		
			million 
			 2005-06 2,579 
			 2006-07 4,921 
		
	
	A final figure for 2007-08, the final year of the programme, has not yet been confirmed as final data for most contributing projects is reported a number of weeks after the year end. Final figures will be collated in September and reported in our autumn performance report to be published in December. The latest reported figure up to December 2007 was 7,157 million, some 10 per cent. above our final target of 6,500 million.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) each NHS trust were disciplined or dismissed for (i) alleged breaches of data protection requirements and (ii) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: No officials in the Department were disciplined or dismissed for alleged breaches of data protection requirements or inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in each of the last two years. Figures are not available before then.
	Details of disciplinary action taken by national health service trusts is not collected centrally but we believe that there should be greater transparency about these matters and have therefore instructed trusts to publish details of disciplinary action taken against staff for these reasons in their annual reports.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his Department's policy to release the home addresses of  (a) senior and  (b) middle-ranking officials if requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what assessment he has made of the implications for personal security resulting from the release of such data.

Ben Bradshaw: Departments deal with requests for information on a case-by-case basis, applying exemptions where it is necessary and appropriate to do so. Any request for officials' home addresses would be handled in this way.

Departmental ICT

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on IT consultancy services in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table provides details of the Department's consultancy expenditure. Consultancy expenditure covers expenditure on management consultancy, information systems/information technology (IT) consultancy, financial consultancy, property consultancy, legal services and HR advice. Expenditure on IT consultancy is not separately identified.
	
		
			  Expenditure on professional services, 2006-07 
			  Organisation  Spend ( million) 
			 Departmental consultancy expenditure 141 
			 Departmental expenditure on agency staff for staff substitution and interim management 63 
			 Executive agencies and Connecting for Health 100 
			 Total 304 
			  Notes:  1. Expenditure is reported against the Office of Government Commerce definition of professional services.  2. Figures are an estimate based upon limitations in the current departmental finance systems.   Source:  Department of Health: Departmental Report 2007.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the hourly rates of pay of all non-permanent staff working for his Department and its agencies were in each of the last 12 months; and how many staff were receiving each rate in each of those months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department employs three types of staff on a non-permanent basis:
	Civil servants on 'fixed term contracts' of less than 12 months, as at the end of January 2008, 45 people were employed in the core Department using the same grading system that applies for permanent civil servants. The grades, numbers and annual salaries are as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Salary range ()  Number 
			 Grade 7 39,695 - 58,982 7 
			 SEO 29,298 - 43,844 5 
			 HEO 23,721 - 35,687 13 
			 EO 18,519 - 28,290 9 
			 AO 14,826 - 22,203 11 
		
	
	Agency staff, as at the end of January 2008, 166 people were employed in the core Department as agency staff. The average hourly rates paid to employment agencies for these staff and the numbers of people involved were as follows:
	
		
			  Average hourly rate  Number 
			 25.50 1 
			 24.50 1 
			 24.34 2 
			 22.50 2 
			 22.28 12 
			 21.62 1 
			 20.81 9 
			 20.26 1 
			 20.00 3 
			 19.22 14 
			 18.48 6 
			 17.37 1 
			 16.90 35 
			 16.83 20 
			 16.57 11 
			 15.79 2 
			 15.25 22 
			 14.63 17 
			 14.52 6 
		
	
	Contractors, as at the end of February 2008, 15 people were employed in the core Department as contractors. The average daily rates paid for these staff and the numbers of people were as follows:
	
		
			  Average daily rate  Number 
			 Under 300 1 
			 300-399 0 
			 400-499 1 
			 500-599 0 
			 600-699 3 
			 700-799 0 
			 800-899 0 
			 900 plus 2 
			 Unknown 8

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's staff took more than  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 15,  (d) 20,  (e) 25,  (f) 30,  (g) 35 and  (h) 40 days leave due to stress in each of the last five years, broken down by pay grade.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not record sickness absence due to stress, but uses a broader category of 'mental health, including depression, anxiety and potential stress-related problems'. For the calendar year 2007, the figures for this broader category were:
	
		
			   Cases of leave for mental health reasons 
			   More than: 
			  Grade  5 days  10 days  15 days  20 days  25 days  30 days  35 days  40 days 
			 Senior civil service  2  1 
			 Grade 6  1  1 
			 Grade 7   1 1  1 1 5 
			 Senior executive officer 1  2 33 
			 Higher executive officer 2 2  2   2 1 
			 Executive officer 2 1 1 3 1 2  7 
			 Administrative officer 1  21 2 
		
	
	Figures for previous years are not available.

Disabled

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets his Department has set in relation to its employment of people with disabilities over the next five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has set a target of 6 per cent. for the employment of people with disabilities in the senior civil service by 31 December 2008. The Department has not yet set targets for other grades.

Doctors: Working Hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the position of other EU member states in the Council of Ministers on the reservations expressed by the UK on the operation of the European Working Time Directive;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 30 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1514W, on the NHS: working hours, what discussions he has had with other EU member states on the definitions of  (a) on-call time,  (b) workplace and  (c) inactive part of on-call time; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Together with many member states, we continue to seek changes to the European working time directive (EWTD) to address the difficulties from the SiMAP and Jaeger judgments.
	There is consensus among member states regarding changes needed to the EWTD to address the SiMAP and Jaeger issues.

Domestic Accidents

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accidents in the home that required medical attention there were in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) type of accident,  (b) resulting injury and  (c) trust.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows data from the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System on the number of people attending accident and emergency (A and E) departments due to injuries from non-fatal home accidents in 2002more recent data are not available centrally. Data are not collected centrally on injuries treated outside hospital (for example, by general practitioners). The figures are estimates for the United Kingdom, based on a sample of hospitals, and a break down by trust is not available. More detail is available in the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System annual reports which are available at:
	www.hassandlass.org.uk/query/reports.htm
	or from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, who hold the detailed data which are also available at:
	www.hassandlass.org.uk/query/index.htm
	
		
			  UK estimates of number of A and E attendances for non-fatal home accident injuries, by type of accident and by type of injury, 2002 (national estimates and 95 per cent. confidence limits) 
			   National estimate  Lower limit (95 per cent.)  Upper limit (95 per cent.) 
			  By type of accident
			 All accidents 2,701,326 2,698,107 2,704,549 
			 Fall on same level (slip/trip/stumble) 417,893 416,627 419,161 
			 Fall on/from stairs/steps 306,168 305,085 307,254 
			 Fall on/from ladder/stepladder 35,281 34,914 35,650 
			 Fall from building/structure 11,624 11,415 11,837 
			 Other fall 476,994 475,642 478,350 
			 Struckexplosion 492 449 537 
			 Struckmoving object 160,351 159,568 161,138 
			 Struckstatic object 270,600 269,582 271,621 
			 Struckother 98,728 98,114 99,346 
			 Pinch/crush (blunt) 79,171 78,621 79,724 
			 Cut/tear (sharp) 234,643 233,696 235,594 
			 Puncture 53,936 53,483 54,393 
			 Bite/sting 72,673 72,146 73,202 
			 Foreign body 128,023 127,323 128,725 
			 Suffocation 15,601 15,357 15,847 
			 (Suspected) poisoning 33,272 32,916 33,631 
			 Chemical effect 12,628 12,410 12,850 
			 Thermal effect 84,460 83,892 85,032 
			 Electric/radiation 5,125 4,987 5,267 
			 Acute overexertion 90,118 89,532 90,708 
			 Other 113,550 112,891 114,212 
			 
			 By type of injury(1)
			 Superficial injury 153,156 152,391 153,925 
			 Open wound 759,361 757,655 761,071 
			 Burn 104,161 103,529 104,794 
			 Bruise/contusion 397,721 396,486 398,958 
			 Concussion/unconsciousness 116,358 115,691 117,028 
			 Other soft tissue injury 653,335 651,753 654,921 
			 Bone injury 429,270 427,988 430,556 
			 Joint/tendon injury 234,889 233,941 235,841 
			 Chemical injury 78,372 77,825 78,923 
			 Systemic injury 4,982 4,846 5,122 
			 Non-injurious foreign body 77,470 76,926 78,017 
			 Injurious foreign body 28,393 28,064 28,724 
			 No diagnosed injury 68,819 68,306 69,334 
			 Other injury 117,260 116,591 117,933 
			 Unspecified injury 92,455 91,861 93,053 
			 (1) Figures for type of injury may include some double counting due to people with multiple injuries.  Note: Figures are estimates based on a sample of 18 hospitals across the UK.  Source: Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System Annual Report for 2002

Drugs: Misuse

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admission episodes there were where the admission was via accident and emergency for a drugs misuse related diagnosis, broken down by NHS trust in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not centrally collected.

Drugs: Misuse

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2383W, on drug treatment, how many hospital admissions in the last five years were related to illegal drug use, broken down by type of drug.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not centrally collected.

Drugs: Misuse

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the relative  (a) efficiency and  (b) effectiveness of (i) Suboxone and (ii) methadone in treating drug addiction; whether such drugs will be made more widely available on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Both Suboxone and methadone are available on the national health service. The decision to use either drug is a clinical one, taken following consultation with the patient about their clinical needs and priorities.
	In January 2007 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published the Technology Appraisal, Methadone and buprenorphine for managing opioid dependence, which recommended the use of both methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence. Such treatments must be funded and provided within the NHS in line with NICE recommendations. However, this appraisal did not consider Suboxone, a newer product which combines buprenorphine and naloxone.
	However, advice on prescribing of Suboxone is included within the joint Department and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse publication, Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, published in September 2007, copies of which have been placed in the Library and are also available on the Department's website online at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Substancemisuse/Substancemisusegeneralinformation/DH_4064342
	As with all new medicines, Suboxone's exact place in treatment is still being established, although the Department's clarification of August 2007 that Suboxone can be dispensed using existing instalment dispensing arrangements, may have removed a possible barrier to the availability of Suboxone.

Health Services: Finance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated for  (a) specialist facilities and  (b) development of best practice standards for local authorities and carer professionals in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has provided an adults social care work force contribution to local authorities (LAs) area based grants. This funding is 139,000,000 in 2008-09 with provisional allocations of 143,000,000 in 2009-10 and 147,000.000 in 2010-11.
	This funding is not ring fenced so LAs may use it as they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their areas. This contribution is designed, as in previous years, to support work force training and development in the adults' work force statutory, private and voluntary sectors.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the cost to the NHS of unrecovered fees chargeable to those not entitled to free NHS health care receiving treatment  (a) in Accident and Emergency departments and  (b) as in-patients in the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Under the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, treatment provided in accident and emergency departments is free of charge to all people.
	Successive Governments have not required the national health service to submit statistics on the number of overseas visitors treated or charged under these regulations, nor any costs involved. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the cost to the NHS of unrecovered fees from those people provided with in-patient treatment who are not entitled to free NHS health care.

Hepatitis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a registered medical practitioner is required to notify the Health Protection Agency about patients with the hepatitis B virus; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Viral hepatitis is a statutorily notifiable infectious disease i.e. the clinician suspecting the diagnosis is required to notify the proper officer of the local authority, usually the consultant in communicable disease control.

Hepatitis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information the Health Protection Agency collects on the source of the hepatitis B virus in cases of sexual exposure; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) receives laboratory reports of cases of hepatitis B as well as receiving notifications.
	At local level, each health protection unit collects and collates data on demographic, clinical, laboratory and risk factor data for cases of acute hepatitis B.
	The risk factors for hepatitis B include:
	injecting drug use;
	sexual contact (sex between men and sex between men and women);
	receipt of blood transfusion/blood product;
	acupuncture/tattooing/body piercing;
	dialysis, surgical or dental procedure; and
	other.
	Collection of this information largely depends upon the reporting doctors and the laboratories reporting the cases.
	The HPA has drawn up 'Standards for Local Surveillance and Follow-Up Of Cases of Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C', which includes a minimum dataset, copies have been placed in the Library and are also available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947376936

Hepatitis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to immunise babies against hepatitis B; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the criteria are for the immunisation of  (a) adults and  (b) children against the hepatitis B virus; whether he plans to change these criteria; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Hepatitis B vaccine is not currently recommended for universal childhood immunisation in the United Kingdom. This is because the UK has a low incidence of hepatitis B.
	The current recommendation for hepatitis B immunisation is to offer the vaccine selectively to individuals at high risk of exposure to the hepatitis B virus because of their lifestyle, occupation or other factors (such as close contact with cases/carriers), and to children born to hepatitis B positive mothers.
	The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is currently reviewing the evidence regarding the use of hepatitis B vaccines.

Hospitals: Inspections

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the statement made by the Baroness in Waiting, Baroness Thornton, of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column GC151, on the Health and Social Care Bill, which 25 acute hospitals the Healthcare Commission has decided to inspect to ascertain compliance with dignity and nutritional standards; on what date it was decided that these 25 acute hospitals were in need of inspection; how the 25 acute hospitals were selected; what hospitals the Healthcare Commission has previously inspected to ascertain adherence to nutritional standards; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have been informed by the Healthcare Commission that it carried out a review, entitled Caring for Dignity, the report of which was published in September 2007. This was a national report on dignity in care for older people while in hospital.
	The review covered various aspects of care affecting the dignity and respect of older people, including aspects of nutrition in hospital. A total of 23 national health service acute trusts were inspected as part of the review.
	The Caring for Dignity report sets out which trusts were investigated and why. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

Medical Equipment: Safety

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what safeguards are planned under the transforming equipment programme to ensure that old and used equipment will remain subject to safety controls if re-sold;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the effect on costs of ending the community equipment recycling scheme and regional equipment loan stores.

Dawn Primarolo: Within the retail model, equipment is segmented into two groups, simple aids to daily living and complex aids to daily living. Simple equipment would be provided through retailers, owned by users, and would be subject to the same consumer protection laws that support all consumers in the purchase of goods. More complex equipment would be delivered through a purchased (contracted) commissioned service, as it is today, and therefore future safeguards and controls will be consistent with current standards.
	Currently, there are no regional equipment loan stores but equipment is provided through over 138 individual stores operating across England. The model continues to support the refurbishment and reuse of equipment where it is economically advantageous.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 205-06W, on medical records: data protection, which  (a) current and  (b) potential suppliers are to have access to records in the secondary uses service as part of the contract tendering process; and what the terms and conditions of access to the service are.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1548W.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2008,  Official Report, column 206W, on medical records: databases, for what reason Connecting for Health is unable to comment on the monitoring process that each Caldicott Guardian will employ.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1547-48W.

NHS: Bedfordshire

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many and which  (a) local authorities and  (b) primary care trusts have patients placed at the Milton Park Independent Hospital at Wyboston, Bedfordshire;
	(2)  how many and which  (a) local authorities and  (b) primary care trusts have withdrawn patients from Milton Park Independent Hospital at Wyboston within the past (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months, broken down by reasons for withdrawal.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. The placements in this independent sector hospital are likely to be commissioned by local authorities and primary care trusts across the country.

NHS: Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of  (a) over-prescription of drugs and  (b) unused drugs to the NHS in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not have a robust estimate of the value of unused, wasted and returned prescription medicines. We have recently awarded a contract jointly to the Universities of York and London to carry out research to determine the scale and cost of unused medicines and the varied and complex reasons why people do not take their medicines as intended. The findings of this research will inform policy development to reduce the amount of unwanted medicines and provide value for money for the national health service.

NHS: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Statement made by the Baroness in Waiting, Baroness Thornton, of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column GC151, on the Health and Social Care Bill, in what ways the NHS Operating Framework is being used to tackle poor nutritional care.

Ivan Lewis: My noble Friend was referring to a number of tools, including the Nutrition Action Plan Programme and the NHS Operating Framework, which the Department is using to improve dignity and nutritional standards.
	The 'NHS in England: The operating framework for 2007-08' (copies of which are available in the Library) sets out 10 principles for the NHS. The second of these is:
	We will help keep people healthy and work to reduce health inequalities.
	We will continually seek opportunities to promote health, as well as to treat illness. Recognising that good health also depends upon social, environmental and economic factors such as deprivation, housing, education and nutrition, we will work with other services as appropriate to prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities.
	The fifth is:
	We will treat every patient with dignity and respect.
	We will treat every patient, service user and carer as a valued individual, with respect for their dignity and privacy. Our aim is to give each patient the care and service we would want for ourselves and our families.
	The Operating Framework for 2008-09 includes a number of enabling strategies. One of these, Empowering patientschoice, information and personalisation, requires primary care trusts to create a more personalised service that provides (inter alia) a good user experience, where service users feel that their dignity is respected.

NHS: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to develop a national occupational health standard for nutritional care.

Dawn Primarolo: There are already national minimum standards on the provision of food and drink in care homes and hospitals, for example standard 15 of the Care Homes for Older People's standard, which covers meals and mealtimes.
	We have no plans to develop a national occupational health standard for nutritional care.

NHS: Questionnaires

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1307W, on NHS questionnaires, if she will breakdown by year the total paid to Ipsos MORI for surveys by his Department from April 2001 to March 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the amount paid by the Department to Ipsos MORI (Market and Opinion Research International) from April 2001 to March 2008, broken down by year.
	
		
			   Amount paid to Ipsos MORI () 
			 2001-02 136,417.50 
			 2002-03 331,322.45 
			 2003-04 662,939.78 
			 2004-05 569,983.06 
			 2005-06 824,591.96 
			 2006-07 11,013,337.54 
			 2007-08 12,432,063.97 
			 Total 25,970,696.26 
		
	
	This answer corrects the answer of 3 April 2008,  Official Report, column 1307W, PQ196232, which stated that the Department paid Ipsos MORI 26,071,628.76 for the period in question.

NHS: Standards

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets for waiting times for hospital services will apply to NHS hospital trusts in December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: 'The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2008-09' sets out the standard for waiting times for hospital services, which will apply to national health service trusts. By December 2008, no one should have to wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to the start of their treatment, unless it is clinically appropriate or they choose to wait longer. Copies of the 2008-09 Operating Framework are available in the Library.

Nutrition: Health Education

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on the five-a-day campaign; and what  (a) mechanisms,  (b) baselines and  (c) targets have been established to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Dawn Primarolo: Between 2002 and 2008, 5.1 million has been spent on the '5 A DAY' campaign. We measure progress on awareness of the '5 A DAY' message and consumption of fruit and vegetables annually. Awareness is measured in the Food Standards Agency's Consumer Awareness Survey and consumption by the Health Survey for England. Since 2002 when the campaign began awareness of the '5 A DAY' message has increased from 43 per cent. to 79 per cent. in 2007. Between 2002 and 2006 '5 A DAY' achievement among adults increased from 24 per cent. to 30 per cent. and from 12 per cent. to 20 per cent. among children.

Nutrition: Salt

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance the Food Standards Agency provides to subgroups of the population including  (a) pregnant women,  (b) the elderly and  (c) those who are exposed to conditions that cause extreme sweating on dietary salt intake.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2003, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published its report Salt and Health and recommended that the average daily intake of salt by all adults should be reduced to six grams per day. SACN found no evidence to suggest that such a reduction in salt intake would have adverse effects on any particular group in the population including pregnant women, the elderly and those who are exposed to conditions that cause extreme sweating. SACN has not published any further advice on salt intake for these sub-groups.
	No specific advice has been issued by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to pregnant women, whose blood pressure is routinely monitored throughout pregnancy and will be advised by their doctor on appropriate treatment, or to those who are exposed to conditions that cause extreme sweating.
	The guidance on salt intakes that the FSA issues to older people highlights that on average intakes should be less than six grams per day, that it is important to be aware of the salt content of ready-prepared foods, and to avoid adding salt when cooking and at the table. This is the same advice that is issued to the general adult population.

Nutrition: Salt

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what key pieces of evidence the nutritional advice relating to salt intake is based; and what opposing evidence was considered in formulation of the advice.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency's advice to reduce salt intake is based on the report, Salt and Health (2003), by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). SACN considered a wide range of published scientific evidence that was both supportive and non-supportive of an association between salt intake and hypertension.
	SACN concluded that a reduction in the average population salt intake would proportionally lower population average blood pressure levels and confer significant public health benefits by contributing to a decrease in the burden of cardiovascular disease.

Oxygen: Medical Equipment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs have arisen from the provision of  (a) liquefied and  (b) medically pure home oxygen to patients in each primary care trust in each year since 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: Costs for the provision of the home oxygen service are held centrally by region. This is a total cost for all of the home oxygen services provided. The costs are as follows:
	
		
			   
			  Region  March to  December 2006  January to  December 2007  January to April 2008 
			 North West 6,762,483 11,114,012 4,204,762 
			 West Midlands 5,423,750 9,029,037 3,533,439 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 4,348,374 7,431,217 2,843,236 
			 London North 3,452,318 5,306,863 2,039,633 
			 East Midlands 3,955,305 5,995,808 2,392,224 
			 South West 4,950,441 15,120,279 6,137,667 
			 Eastern England 7,650,570 13,315,612 4,816,562 
			 South East London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex 4,148,019 8,672,380 3,260,518 
			 South West London, Thames Valleys, Hants and Isle of Wight 3,540,710 7,172,604 2,634,541 
			 North West 4,870,846 9,066,662 3,374,883 
			  Note:  The service was in transition between March 2006 and October 2006, and therefore this data are not directly comparable to data from October 2006 when transition to the new service was completed. 
		
	
	The new home oxygen service came into effect on 1 February 2006. Prior to the introduction of the new service, costs were for the provision of equipment rather than the oxygen services provided for patients, and comparative data cannot be provided.

Parasitic Diseases

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with a toxocara canis infection in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of people diagnosed with Toxocara species ( Toxocara canis ( T. canis) and  Toxocara cati ( T. cati)) infection in the last five years in England and Wales is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of cases 
			 2007 1 
			 2006 1 
			 2005 5 
			 2004 5 
			 2003 3 
			  Note: Toxocara reports are not broken down by species into  T. canis and  T. cati.  Source: Information provided by the Health Protection Agency.

Parasitic Diseases

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have a visual impairment caused by a toxocara canis infection.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of people that have a visual impairment caused by a  Toxocara canis infection is not known as this information is not routinely reported to the Health Protection Agency.

Pharmacy: General Practitioners

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Government plans to reform selling over-the-counter medicines by authorised GP practices.

Dawn Primarolo: The White Paper Pharmacy in England; Building on StrengthsDelivering the Future puts forward proposals to broaden access to over-the-counter (OTC) medicinesthose categorised as 'Pharmacy only (P)' or as 'general sale list (GSL)'. Copies of the White Paper are available in the Library.
	A consultation paper will be launched in late summer after the publication of the primary and community care strategy. The consultation will ask for comments about broadening the access of patients to OTC medicines through the reform of some of the existing controls on general practitioners selling OTC medicines to their patients.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of people defined as having a disability under disability discrimination legislation who incur prescription charges;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of people defined as having a disability under disability discrimination legislation who have not been able to obtain a prescription because of prescription charges in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: No such estimates have been made.

Preventive Medicine: Social Services

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the increase in the provision of preventative social care services.

Ivan Lewis: The Department published a concordat, Putting People First: A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care, in December last year, which recognises that prevention is one key element of the transformation agenda. Copies of the publication are available in the Library. The concordat sets out the cross-sector commitment to personalising public services and aims to support all councils to transform their adult social care systems by moving away from intervention at the point of crisis towards early intervention and prevention, focused on promoting independence and improved wellbeing. We are extracting and disseminating early lessons learnt from the Partnerships for Older People Projects programme and related initiatives to support the transformation programme.
	It is for councils to determine the allocation of their resources in their area depending on local needs and priorities. This Government has made unprecedented investments in care and support, including a 45 per cent. real terms increase in local Government funding since we took office up to 2010-11.

Psychiatry: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure compliance of mental health trusts with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations on computerised cognitive behaviour therapy.

Ivan Lewis: Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal TA097, and the directions on NICE appraisals impose an obligation on primary care trusts (PCTs) to ensure that cCBT is 'normally available' to be prescribed or supplied and administered to patients.
	The Department's role is to set out a strategic framework and secure adequate funding for the national health service and adult care services. PCTs are responsible for providing local health services, including the provision of cCBT and together with their strategic health authorities are responsible for deciding which services to plan, commission and develop to meet the health needs of their local communities.

Salt

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects on blood pressure of sodium intake; whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of people in England with blood pressure problems whose condition would be alleviated by changes in the amount of salt in their diet; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The relationship between sodium and blood pressure was considered by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) in 1994. COMA concluded that a reduction in salt intake would reduce the average blood pressure of the population. In 2001, the Food Standards Agency asked the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to review the evidence since the COMA report. SACN considered a wide range of evidence for the relationship between salt and hypertension which is detailed on their report, 'Salt and Health' (2003). Copies of this report are available in the Library. SACN concluded that a reduction in the average population salt intakes would proportionally lower population average blood pressure levels and confer significant public health benefits by contributing to a decrease in the burden of cardiovascular disease.
	The Government have not estimated the number of people in England with hypertension whose condition would be alleviated by changes in the amount of salt in their diet.

Salt

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis was for the recommendation that the national guideline for dietary salt intake to be set at six grams a day.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency's campaign to reduce salt intakes is based on advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) which is published in their report, 'Salt and Health' (2003). Copies of this Report are available in the Library. SACN considered a wide range of evidence for the relationship between salt and hypertension and concluded that a reduction in the average population salt intake to six grams per day would proportionally lower population average blood pressure levels and confer significant public health benefits by contributing to a decrease in the burden of cardiovascular disease.

Salt

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has made an estimate of  (a) the number of lives to be saved annually and  (b) other effects on health arising from reducing dietary salt intake to within the Government's guideline amount of six grams a day.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of lives saved annually by reducing average population intakes of salt to six grams has been estimated by the Food Standards Agency to be around 20,200. While the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition considered the effects of salt intake on other health outcomes, the effects on these of reducing salt intakes to six grams have not been estimated.

Salt: Health Education

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on the Full of IT campaign; and what  (a) mechanisms,  (b) baselines and  (c) targets have been established to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Dawn Primarolo: The total cost of the 'Full of it' campaign was 3,745,000.
	To measure effectiveness of the campaign specific pre- and post-campaign tracking research was established using RSGB face-to-face adult omnibus survey which interviews a nationally representative sample of adults 16 years old and over in the United Kingdom. The pre-campaign research set a baseline on awareness and claimed behaviour. Targets were set based on the latest baselines. These were:
	a further increase in claim to be trying to cut down their salt intake among our target audience from to from 51 per cent. to 55 per cent. (result 55 per cent.); and
	an increase in claim to look at labels for the salt content among our target audience from 50 per cent. to 54 per cent. (result 53 per cent.)

Scientific Advisory Committees

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to members of his Department's scientific advisory committees on taking into account all studies and data submitted in support of applications for novel foods, medicines and veterinary medicines and data on the safety of additives, contaminants and potentially harmful organisms before providing advice to Ministers.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 22 May 2008
	To ensure that the advice they provide to Ministers is informed by a robust appraisal of the available evidence, all of the Department's scientific advisory committees work according to the Government Chief Scientific Adviser's Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees. The Code of Practice is available at: www.dius.gov.uk/publications.html. In addition, members of the Department's scientific advisory committees are directed to relevant good practice guidelines and statutory requirements.
	The scientific advisory committees that consider applications for novel foods and data on the safety of additives, contaminants and potentially harmful organisms, have developed a set of good practice guidelines in conjunction with the Chief Scientist of the Food Standards Agency, which cover the gathering and interpretation of scientific data and presentation of advice. The Good Practice Guidelines are available at:
	www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/goodpracticeguide.pdf.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ensure that all new members of scientific advisory committees are given appropriate introductory training on the scientific and legal basis of evaluation and assessment of applications for a marketing authorisation of a medicinal product, based on statutory requirements as set out in appropriate legislation.

Smoking

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many smoking shelters were built at his Department's London buildings in each of the last five years; and where these shelters are located.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's London estate is 'smoke-free'. There are no smoking shelters on the London estate provided by the Department.

Tuberculosis

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the number of new cases of tuberculosis.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chief Medical Officer's Action Plan Stopping Tuberculosis in England sets out our aim to reduce the risk of people being newly infected with tuberculosis (TB) in England. Copies of this publication are available in the Library. Early detection of cases and completion of treatment are both necessary to reduce the number of new cases. In order to achieve this, the Department has provided guidance and tools to help the national health service commission TB services best suited to local needs, and deliver services according to best practice. The Department is funding complementary work to raise awareness of TB among healthcare professionals and groups within the population at increased risk of TB. In addition, the Department continues to fund and evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions aimed at improving TB control, and will make the evaluations available to the NHS.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council of England: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of  (a) grant in aid and  (b) lottery income provided to the Arts Council regional bodies was spent on administration in each region of England in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: The latest figures available from Arts Council England (ACE) are for 2006-07. These are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Admin  Arts  
			   GIA  Lottery  Total  GIA  Lottery  Total  Percentage 
			 East 2,453,310 574,610 3,027,920 14,723,025 3,539,146 18,262,171 16.58 
			 East Midlands 2,195,138 649,494 2,844,631 15,708,489 3,643,454 19,351,943 14.70 
			 London 5,533,958 1,937,742 7,471,700 173,876,453 13,176,675 187,053,128 3.99 
			 National Office 6,455,843 12,652,590 19,108,433 27,543,123 80,939,847 108,482,970 17.61 
			 North East 2,103,683 494,829 2,598,512 20,973,024 3,185,877 24,158,901 10.76 
			 North West 2,805,189 1,107,292 3,912,481 30,059,930 7,872,599 37,932,529 10.31 
			 South East 3,010,301 1,013,781 4,024,082 19,018,631 6,807,656 25,826,287 15.58 
			 South West 2,461,112 97,463 2,558,575 21,447,540 428,176 21,875,716 11.70 
			 West Midlands 2,284,194 1,081,701 3,365,894 49,046,548 7,204,750 56,251,298 5.98 
			 Yorkshire 2,163,743 319,899 2,483,642 31,483,897 1,853,286 33,337,183 7.45 
			 Total 31,466,470 19,929,401 51,395,871 403,880,659 128,651,466 532,532,125  
		
	
	ACE's administrative functions also include arts development, partnerships with local authorities, and support for regularly funded organisations. 'GIA Arts' or 'Lottery Arts' in the table means all non-administrative expenditure.
	ACE continues to reduce its administrative costs through a programme of reform and improvement. The reorganisation in 2002 delivered annual efficiency savings of 7 million. The 2006 review of ACE's national office will deliver further savings of 1.8 million each year. In 2007, ACE also conducted a review of support services, which will reduce annual administrative costs by a further 800,000.

Betting Shops

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many licensed betting offices there were in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland in each year for which figures are available since 1996.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information about the number of betting licences in force in England, Wales and Scotland for the years 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2003 is available in the DCMS Statistical Bulletin, Betting Licensing, Great Britain, June 2002May 2003 which was published by the DCMS on 30 October 2003 and which can be found on the internet using the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/research/Betting pubn.pdf
	More comprehensive information on this subject is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Cricket: Schools

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department has given to the Cricket Foundation's Chance to Shine initiative to increase active participation in school cricket.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Support for the Chance to Shine initiative is provided through Sport England and the National Sports Foundation (NSF). Sport England advises that 2.5 million was awarded by the NSF to the scheme. All of this had been paid out by the end of the 2007-08 financial year. 2 million was also awarded to the scheme by Sport England for the funding period December 2005 to March 2007. All of this money has been paid out.
	I attended the launch of Chance to Shine's Big Run Chase on 20 May this year, which encourages young people to get involved in cricket.

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has issued guidance to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has issued guidance to staff to switch off personal computers when not in use. We will be implementing software to shutdown unused personal computers automatically shortly.

Departmental Equality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1370W, on departmental equality, what percentage of top management positions in his Department are held by women, what percentage of senior civil service positions are held by black and minority ethnic employees; what percentage of positions are held by black and minority ethnic employees in his Department as a whole; what percentage of senior civil service positions are held by disabled employees; and what percentage of positions are held by disabled employees in his Department as a whole.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	The percentage of top management positions (all SCS grades) in the Department held by women is 41 per cent.
	The percentage of senior civil service positions held by black and minority ethnic staff is 7 per cent.
	The percentage of positions held by black and minority ethnic staff as a whole is 13 per cent.
	The percentage of senior civil servants positions held by disabled staff is 3 per cent.
	The percentage of positions held by disabled staff as a whole is 3 per cent.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to  (a) all staff and  (b) staff at senior civil service level in (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many payments were made. [Official Report, 9 July 2008, Vol. 478, c. 10MC.]

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is in the table.
	
		
			   Total amount of bonus payments paid ()  Number of payments 
			 All staff   
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 424,480 204 
			 Royal Parks Agency 10,200 20 
			
			 Senior civil service 204,900 19 
			  Notes: 1. The information has been amalgamated for the senior civil service as there are fewer than five senior civil servants in the Royal Parks Agency. 2. All staff includes those in the senior civil service.

Departmental Sustainable Development

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he expects his Department's 2008 sustainable development action plan to be produced and published.

Margaret Hodge: The Sustainable Development Action Plan for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is currently being drafted. We aim to publish the document electronically on our website:
	www.culture.gov.uk
	by the end of June.

Football: Racial Discrimination

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on tackling  (a) racism and  (b) homophobia in football since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS channels its funding for sport through its non-departmental public bodies Sport England and UK Sport
	Sport England and UK Sport have not directly funded any campaigns designed to combat racism and homophobia.
	However, in the financial year 2007-08 Sport England provided a grant of 317,066 to Sporting Equals, which champions race equality in sport, as well as funding the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports charity, which supports anti-racism campaigns in football like 'Kick it Out' and 'Show Racism the Red Card'.
	Both Sport England and UK Sport are working in partnership with SportScotland and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland to commission a research project into barriers to participation and the number of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual participants in sport. A total of 25,000 has been invested by partners in the research and producing a guidance resource for governing bodies.

Football: World Cup

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the role is of  (a) the Minister for Sport and  (b) his Department in seeking to bring the World Cup to England in 2018.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My role in seeking to bring the World cup to England in 2018 is to lead for Government, coordinating support for the Football Association's bid, while representing and defending the Government's interests and liabilities. The role of the Department is to support me in this.

Football: World Cup

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions the Government's World Cup Ambassador has met the Football Association since his appointment.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) has met representatives of the Football Association eight times since his appointment as the Prime Minister's World Cup Ambassador.

Gambling Act 2005

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the costs of the Gambling Act 2005 to the gambling sector.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The estimated costs on the gambling industry were set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which was published in April 2005 with the Gambling Act 2005. In addition, impact assessments were prepared for each element of the secondary legislation required to implement the Gambling Act 2005 and these were published with the related Explanatory Memorandum on the Office for Public Sector Information website and separately in the Better Regulation section of the Department's website:
	www.culture.gov.uk

Licensing: Exemptions

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when his Department plans to complete and publish the exemptions under the Licensing Act 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department is currently developing options on exemptions for consultation. We are aiming to consult from autumn this year.

Listed Buildings: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will take steps to  (a) list and  (b) take other protective steps in relation to the Purton Hulks in Stroud constituency.

Margaret Hodge: The Secretary of State may designate historic assets only if they meet the relevant statutory criteria. The Purton Hulks have been assessed for designation as a scheduled ancient monument by English Heritage, the Secretary of State's statutory advisers on the historic environment. I understand that English Heritage considers that the criteria for designation are not met in this case.

National Lottery: Merseyside

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 852W, on the National Lottery: North West, how many Lottery grants were made to projects in Merseyside in 2007-08; and how much was awarded.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information appears in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year 2007-08 
			   Total number of grants  Total value of grants () 
			 County of Merseyside 394 22,661368 
		
	
	These figures are derived from the Department's lottery grants database, which uses information supplied by the lottery distributors and is searchable at
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

National Lottery: North West

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 852W, on the National Lottery: North West, how many lottery grants were made to projects in the North West in 2007-08; and how much was awarded, broken down by constituency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information appears in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year 2007-08 
			   Total number of grants  Total value of grants 
			 North West Region 1,851 117,186,020 
			
			 Altrincham and Sale West 17 506,921 
			 Ashton under Lyne 24 1,936,662 
			 Barrow and Furness 36 578,067 
			 Birkenhead 26 1,527,013 
			 Blackburn 19 1,525,931 
			 Blackpool North and Fleetwood 16 726,418 
			 Blackpool South 14 3,482,539 
			 Bolton North East 24 2,494,304 
			 Bolton South East 16 535,525 
			 Bolton West 27 322,428 
			 Bootle 15 1,438,013 
			 Burnley 30 2,612,698 
			 Bury North 14 2,360,684 
			 Bury South 14 89,197 
			 Carlisle 28 1,164,123 
			 Cheadle 18 135,832 
			 Chorley 37 1,124,821 
			 City of Chester 27 2,642,502 
			 Congleton 16 564,426 
			 Copeland 19 493,308 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 18 2,549,776 
			 Crosby 13 649,309 
			 Denton and Reddish 16 481,348 
			 Eccles 16 1,906,579 
			 Eddisbury 28 787,490 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 25 1,913,624 
			 Fylde 12 512,999 
			 Halton 15 1,377,143 
			 Hazel Grove 13 737,383 
			 Heywood and Middleton 21 171,646 
			 Hyndburn 22 645,265 
			 Knowsley North and Sefton East 18 597,893 
			 Knowsley South 13 1,362,539 
			 Lancaster and Wyre 43 2,961,625 
			 Leigh 21 885,416 
			 Liverpool Garston 20 118,444 
			 Liverpool Riverside 134 11,712,048 
			 Liverpool Walton 6 32,908 
			 Liverpool Wavertree 21 185,129 
			 Liverpool West Derby 10 73,971 
			 Macclesfield 13 1,025,495 
			 Makerfield 15 656,737 
			 Manchester Blackley 13 84,791 
			 Manchester Central 124 20,607,288 
			 Manchester Gorton 31 871,354 
			 Manchester Withington 43 559,320 
			 Morecambe and Lunesdale 22 559,222 
			 Oldham East and Saddleworth 23 1,420,914 
			 Oldham West and Royton 19 233,609 
			 Pendle 22 686,981 
			 Penrith and The Border 57 2,508,109 
			 Preston 42 3,205,646 
			 Ribble Valley 16 795,653 
			 Rochdale 26 906,584 
			 Rossendale and Darwen 25 895,818 
			 Salford 29 756,811 
			 South Ribble 16 496,454 
			 Southport 14 513,969 
			 St. Helens North 14 753,606 
			 St. Helens South 19 946,398 
			 Stalybridge and Hyde 13 96,002 
			 Stockport 23 8,780,275 
			 Stretford and Urmston 36 1,049,078 
			 Tatton 14 168,646 
			 Wallasey 23 398,491 
			 Warrington North 17 274,882 
			 Warrington South 16 2,415,600 
			 Weaver Vale 24 2,164,381 
			 West Lancashire 19 1,470,139 
			 Westmorland and Lonsdale 55 2,017,937 
			 Wigan 17 1,670,447 
			 Wirral South 15 348,618 
			 Wirral West 10 80,799 
			 Workington 33 1,243,631 
			 Worsley 14 83,199 
			 Wythenshawe and Sale East 17 515,189 
			 Total 1,851 117,186,020 
		
	
	These figures are derived from the Department's Lottery Grants Database, which uses information supplied by the lottery distributors and is searchable at
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

National Lottery: Wirral

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 852W, on the National Lottery: North West, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in Lottery funding to projects in Wirral South constituency between 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No such assessment has been made. The individual lottery distributing bodies are responsible for making grant decisions independently of Government. Grants are made in response to applications and it is natural for the amounts awarded to particular areas to vary from year to year.

Olympic Games: China

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's officials will attend the Beijing Olympic Games in an official capacity; what the purpose of each individual's attendance is; and what estimate he has made of the costs associated with such attendance.

Gerry Sutcliffe: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library. All travel by DCMS officials is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is available in the Library.
	Both the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I will attend part of the Olympic games, each accompanied by a private secretary.
	The Permanent Secretary of the DCMS will also attend the Olympic games.
	There will also be three DCMS press officers attending the Olympic games, to support us and the Minister for the Olympics. Three members of staff of the Government Olympic Executive will attend the Olympic games on the official Observer Programme to learn lessons for staging the 2012 games. This will be our only opportunity to learn from a summer games before 2012.
	I will also attend part of the Paralympic games, and will be accompanied by a private secretary. A press officer will support the Minister for the Olympics and me, and two members of staff of the Government Olympic Executive will attend the official Observer Programme.
	Few of those listed will be attending the whole period of the gamesmost attendance is planned so there will be cover throughout the games but without duplication.
	Officials will be in Beijing to perform a number of roles. These include:
	Supporting Ministers in their workincluding supporting Team GB athletes in competition;
	Learning lessons that will be essential in the planning and delivery of London 2012;
	Attending official team and diplomatic functions;
	Press officers facilitating media interviews and providing a service for national and international media.
	At this time we do not have the total costs of sending DCMS employees to the games. These are still being calculated, however we are working to ensure the best possible price.

Regional Cultural Consortiums: Standards

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 17th May 2008,  Official Report, column 944W, on regional cultural consortia: standards, how much has been allocated for his Department's review of regional infrastructure; and what the  (a) timetable and  (b) remit of the review is.

Margaret Hodge: The Department's regional infrastructure review has been conducted as part of the day to day work of the Department and its public bodies, and no additional resources have been allocated to it.
	The remit of the review was to look at how the Department can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its regional bodies. The Regional Infrastructure Review Working Group has put forward recommendations for future collaboration in the regions which are being considered carefully.

Royal Opera House

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps  (a) he and  (b) Arts Council England is taking to increase accessibility to performances at the Royal Opera House to those on low incomes; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The issues raised are a matter for the Royal Opera House and Arts Council England.
	All Arts Council England regularly funded organisations take steps to ensure that the arts are as accessible to as many people as possible. Arts Council England has supplied the following information on the Royal Opera House.
	In 2008-09, 40 per cent. of seats (260,000 seats) will cost 30 or below, 43,000
	more seats than in the 2007-08 season. In addition, the Royal Opera House has a number of initiatives designed to widen access, including:
	The Paul Hamlyn Club continues to provide 20 tickets at subsidised prices for each main stage performance throughout the year. Prices are 20 for opera and 12 for ballet. Since its inception three years ago, almost 6,000 people have benefited from the scheme.
	The Student Standby scheme continues to flourish with more than 19,000 students now registered to receive email or text alerts for the 10 student standby tickets sold for performances at the last minute.
	More than 44,000 tickets are available for performances in other spaces within the Opera House ranging from 6 to 28.50 including chamber operas by The Royal Opera in the Linbury Studio Theatre. There is a flat 5 ticket price for the annual programme of Firstsan innovative programme of short contemporary works supported by the Helen Hamlyn Foundation.
	In addition, there are more than 11,000 free tickets for daytime performances.
	The noble Lord and Lady Laidlaw of Rothiemay are supporting the new family performances initiative, where families who have never previously attended a performance in the main auditorium are invited to come and enjoy either opera or ballet. The performance is surrounded by a programme of activities including creative workshops. Prices range between 5 and 20.
	The BP Summer Big Screen programme reaches audiences in 17 different locations around the country from Aberdeen to Belfast to Leeds, London and Plymouth. Three different productions are relayed live from the Royal Opera House and are completely free.
	This year sees the beginning of Royal Opera House cinema screenings of both opera and ballet into the UK and North America. To begin with these will be existing recordings, with live broadcasts being scheduled in due course. It is anticipated that tickets to the cinema screenings will be approximately 12.50 with concessions also available.

Science

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish the report on science and heritage prepared for his Department by Mike Dixon.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 April 2008
	Dr. Mike Dixon's report to DCMS was not a report on science and heritage, but on whether and in what way DCMS should engage with or have a chief scientific adviser. The report was entitled 'DCMS Scientific Adviser' and we intend to publish it, alongside our response to Dr. Dixon's recommendations, later in June.

Sport: Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Exchequer funding was spent by  (a) Sport England and  (b) UK Sport on organisations other than national governing bodies in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sport England and UK Sport have provided the following details on Exchequer funding spent on organisations other than national governing bodies.
	
		
			   Sport England ()  UK Sport ( million) 
			 2005-6 32,049,029 3.89 
			 2006-7 43,730,523 6.13 
			 2007-8 54,646,083 7.44

Sportsgrounds: Disabled

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Premiership football clubs' stadia meet the needs of disabled spectators and other users in accordance with the accessible stadia guide.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government do not hold or collate this information.

Tourism: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the amount of expenditure by Israeli tourists visiting the United Kingdom in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) in 2008 to date; how many such visitors there were in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The table shows the number of visits to the UK and expenditure from Israeli residents for the latest years for which information is available. This information is taken from the International Passenger Survey (ONS).
	
		
			  Visits to the UK from Israeli residents 
			   (thousand)  Spend ( million) 
			 2005 140 77 
			 2006 164 88 
			 2007(1) 141 89 
			 (1) Provisional .   Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS)

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Edward Miliband: In 2007-08, there were no apprenticeships within the Cabinet Office or the Central Office of Information. However, the Cabinet Office is currently in discussions to participate in the civil service wide pathfinder project to offer modern apprenticeship opportunities.

Civil Servants: Retirement

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many officials of Permanent Secretary rank retired from  (a) the Civil Service and  (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the last 10 years; how many were (i) knighted and (ii) raised to the peerage; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: Between 1 April 2002 and 30 September 2007, 18 officials of Permanent Secretary rank retired from the civil service. Of these, 16 were knighted during their period in office, two were also raised to the peerage on retirement. Information prior to 1 April 2002 is not held centrally.
	Between 1 April 2004 and 30 April 2008, 11 officials of Permanent Secretary rank retired from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All 11 were knighted either during or after their period in office, and two were raised to the peerage. These figures include those retiring from the diplomatic service. Information prior to 1 April 2004 is not held.

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has issued guidance to staff in  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) the Prime Minister's Office to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1329W, to the right hon. Member for Warley (Mr. Spellar).

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether it is his policy to release the home addresses of  (a) senior and  (b) middle-ranking officials in the Cabinet Office, if requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what assessment he has made of the implications for personal security resulting from the release of such data.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Cabinet Office Ministers since 1997.

Edward Miliband: No information is held for statutory instruments made by Cabinet Office Ministers in 1997 and only partial details are held for 1998. Since 1999, 32 general statutory instruments have been made in the name of the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
	The number of statutory instruments revoked could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Languages

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which languages are spoken in the United Kingdom; and what estimate he has made of the number of speakers of each.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking which languages are spoken in the United Kingdom; and what estimate he has made of the number of speakers of each. (202744)
	According to the Labour Force Survey, in 2006, languages other than English were the first language spoken at home for six per cent of the UK population aged 16 and older. The available information on the languages spoken is as follows:
	
		
			  First language spoken at home other than English, UK population aged 16 and older, 2006 
			   Percentage 
			 Welsh 0.4 
			 Ulster Scots/Ullans 0.1 
			 Gaelic 0.1 
			 Any other 5.4 
			 All other than English 6.0 
			  Source: Labour Force Survey. 
		
	
	UK censuses have also collected complete information on whether people understand, speak, read or write Welsh, Irish, and Scottish Gaelic (in the Welsh, Northern Irish and Scottish censuses respectively). The latest information is available in 2001 Census outputs. However, apart from English and these UK languages, the UK statistical offices do not currently collect information on which languages are spoken in the UK.
	The 2011 Censuses across the UK will contain new questions on language. Topic recommendations for the England and Wales Census will be contained within the White Paper for the 2011 Census, which will be published and laid before Parliament at the end of this year. Parliament will make the decision on the content of questions in the 2011 Census in 2010.

Pay

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average level of take-home pay was in each year since 1980 in  (a) nominal terms and  (b) 2008 prices; and what the percentage change was in each year.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 2 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average level of take-home pay was in each year since 1980 in (a) real terms and (b) 2008 prices; and what was the percentage change in each year. (207774)
	Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) in April each year. It is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Various breakdowns and analyses are available online for years 1997 onwards at:
	http://wwwtstatistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=13101
	The ASHE does not collect information on take-home pay, only gross pay before tax, National Insurance or other deductions. Estimates of average take-home pay in real terms and 2008 prices are therefore not available.

Population

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 50-51W, on population, what the projected  (a) population and  (b) population density of (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland is for the most distant projection made by the Office for National Statistics; and what assumptions about migration have been made in calculating such projections.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the projected a) population and b) population density of (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) Scotland, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland is for the most distant projection made by the Office for National Statistics; and what assumptions about migration have been used in calculating such projections (207695).
	The 2006-based national population projections published results for 75 years ahead, that is, to 2081. Details of how to calculate the population densities for any year of the projections were provided in my reply to your PQ dated 19 May 2008 (205787). Using the country areas provided in this answer, and the projected population totals for 2081, produces the following projected densities:
	
		
			  Projected population density of UK and constituent countries in 2081 
			   Projected population (Million)  Area (sq km)  Density (persons/sq km) 
			 United Kingdom 85 242,495 352 
			 England 75 130,279 574 
			 Wales 3 20,733 168 
			 Scotland 5 77,907 64 
			 Northern Ireland 2 13,576 152 
			  Source: 2006-based national projections, ONS. 
		
	
	The long-term assumptions of annual net migration to the United Kingdom and constituent countries used in these recent national population projections are as follows:
	
		
			  Country  Long-term migration assumption 
			 England +171,500 
			 Wales +9,500 
			 Scotland +8,500 
			 Northern Ireland 500 
			 United Kingdom +190,000 
		
	
	As previously advised in my reply to your earlier PQ (177459), the underlying assumptions for the projections are demographic trend based and should not be seen as predictions.

Prostate Cancer

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in  (a) England and  (b) each primary care trust (PCT) area in each year since 1997; and how many deaths from prostate cancer there were in (i) England and (ii) each PCT area in each of those years.

Phil Hope: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 2 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the age standardised mortality rate from prostate cancer was in (a) England and (b) each primary care trust (PCT) area each year since 1997; and how many deaths from prostate cancer there were in (i) England and (ii) each PCT area in each of those years. (206402)
	A copy of the tables containing the relevant information have been placed in the House of Commons Library. The tables provide the number of deaths where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death in (a) England and (b) primary care organisations (table 1), for 1997 to 2006 and age standardised mortality rates for (i) England and (ii) primary care organisations (table 2), for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	The current primary care organisation boundaries were introduced in October 2006, and population estimates using these boundaries are available for 2002 to 2006. It is therefore not possible to calculate mortality rates for primary care organisations before 2002.

Prostate Cancer

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the age-standardised incidence of prostate cancer was in  (a) spearhead primary care trusts and  (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the age standardised incidence of prostate cancer was in (a) spearhead primary care trusts and (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.
	The spearhead group is defined in terms of local authorities. Spearhead primary care organisations (PCOs) are those which overlap geographically with any of the area defined by the spearhead local authorities. For most, the whole of the PCO area overlaps with the spearhead local authorities, but some only partially overlap.
	The attached table presents age standardised incidence rates and the number of registrations of prostate cancer in England and in the spearhead group. Figures are also presented for each PCO overlapping with the spearhead group. All figures are for 2005, the latest year available. An estimate of the percentage of the PCO population in the spearhead group in 2002 is also shown.
	
		
			  Table 1. Age-standardised incidence rates of prostate cancer per 100,000 population( 1, 2, 3 ) England, Spearhead group and primary care organisations, 2005( 4) 
			  Area  Incidence rate  95% confidence interval  Number of registrations  Percentage of PCO population within the spearhead group( 5) 
			 England 95.6 (94.5 - 96.7) 28,887  
			 Spearhead group 96.2 (94.3 - 98.2) 9,806  
			 Barking and Dagenham 83 (63 - 104) 63 100 
			 Greenwich Teaching 83 (65 - 101) 81 100 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 110 (85 - 135) 75 100 
			 Haringey Teaching 126 (101 - 151) 98 100 
			 Islington 98 (75 - 122) 67 100 
			 Lambeth 124 (101 - 148) 109 100 
			 Lewisham 78 (61 - 96) 75 100 
			 Newham 63 (46 - 80) 53 100 
			 Southwark 85 (67 - 104) 80 100 
			 Tower Hamlets 60 (42 - 78) 41 100 
			 Bolton 95 (79 - 110) 142 100 
			 Bury 127 (106 - 148) 136 100 
			 Manchester 106 (91 - 120) 205 100 
			 Oldham 144 (122 - 166) 171 100 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 116 (96 - 136) 130 100 
			 Salford 103 (85 - 122) 126 100 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 117 (101 - 133) 209 100 
			 Knowsley 96 (74 - 118) 74 100 
			 Liverpool 93 (81 - 105) 221 100 
			 Halton and St. Helens 83 (70 - 97) 143 100 
			 Wirral 79 (67 - 91) 166 100 
			 Barnsley 86 (71 - 102) 120 100 
			 Doncaster 62 (51 - 73) 113 100 
			 Rotherham 51 (40 - 63) 79 100 
			 Gateshead 126 (105 - 146) 148 100 
			 Newcastle 57 (45 - 69) 91 100 
			 North Tyneside 87 (70 - 103) 106 100 
			 South Tyneside 68 (52 - 85) 64 100 
			 Sunderland Teaching 92 (78 - 107) 156 100 
			 South Birmingham 122 (106 - 138) 220 100 
			 Coventry Teaching 114 (98 - 130) 194 100 
			 Sandwell 78 (65 - 91) 132 100 
			 Walsall Teaching 121 (104 - 138) 193 100 
			 Wolverhampton City 118 (100 - 135) 174 100 
			 Bradford and Airedale 85 (74 - 97) 212 100 
			 Wakefield District 96 (82 - 110) 186 100 
			 Hartlepool 68 (46 - 91) 36 100 
			 Middlesbrough 135 (109 - 161) 103 100 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 104 (84 - 125) 97 100 
			 North Tees 74 (58 - 90) 79 100 
			 Warrington 57 (43 - 71) 61 100 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 84 (63 - 106) 59 100 
			 Blackpool 86 (68 - 104) 90 100 
			 Hull 86 (70 - 102) 116 100 
			 Leicester City 69 (55 - 83) 95 100 
			 Nottingham City 74 (59 - 88) 98 100 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 106 (86 - 125) 112 100 
			 Birmingham East and North 107 (94 - 121) 233 100 
			 North East Lincolnshire 89 (70 - 107) 89 100 
			 Stoke on Trent 68 (55 - 81) 104 97 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 98 (76 - 120) 74 96 
			 Tameside and Glossop 105 (88 - 122) 146 87 
			 East Lancashire 103 (89 - 116) 232 86 
			 County Durham 77 (67 - 86) 247 77 
			 Northumberland 106 (92 - 120) 229 46 
			 Cumbria 83 (74 - 93) 299 35 
			 Central Lancashire 143 (129 - 157) 379 29 
			 Warwickshire 90 (80 - 100) 308 23 
			 Lincolnshire 118 (108 - 127) 612 13 
			 South Staffordshire 104 (93 - 114) 393 13 
			 Derbyshire County 88 (80 - 97) 430 10 
			 Northamptonshire 114 (103 - 125) 432 8 
			 (1 )Age standardised incidence rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2 )Confidence intervals are a measure of the statistical precision of an estimate and show the range of uncertainty around the estimated figure. Calculations based on small numbers of events are often subject to random fluctuations. As a general rule, if the confidence intervals around one figure overlaps with the interval around another, we cannot say with certainty that there is more than a chance difference between the two figures. (3 )Prostate cancer incidence was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD- 10) codeC61. (4 )Based on boundaries as of 2008. (5 )Percentages based on PCO population as at 2002.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Burglary

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many business premises were burgled in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; how many persons were convicted of burglaries in each year; and what average sentence they received.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 gives the number of non-domestic burglary offences recorded from 2003-04 to 2007-08. Table 2 gives the number of convictions, the number sentenced to immediate custody and the average custodial sentence length (in months) for all burglary offences.
	It is not possible to give the total number of convictions for burglary offences that related to burglary of a business as the court conviction datasets do not specify this information in relation to the type of premises/building involved. It is only possible to give the number of convictions for those offences which refer to a non-dwelling, figures for which are documented in table 3.
	Conviction data cover the calendar years 2002 to 2006 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	Recorded crime data cannot be routinely reconciled with prosecution and conviction data as the former relates to the number of offences whereas the latter relates to the number of offenders brought before the courts. In addition, recorded crime data denote each offence as it has been initially recorded and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect or suspects are subsequently proceeded against in the courts.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of non-domestic burglary offences recorded 2003-042007-08 
			   Number recorded 
			 2003-04 7,317 
			 2004-05 5,965 
			 2005-06 5,472 
			 2006-07 4,630 
			 2007-08 4,874 
			  Source: PSNI Central Statistics Unit 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: number convicted of all burglary offences, the number sentenced to immediate custody and the average custodial sentence length (in months) 2002-06 
			   Number convicted  Number sentenced to immediate custody  Number for which sentence length data are available( 1)  Average custodial sentence length (months) 
			 2002 595 249 236 7.6 
			 2003 602 291 275 9.0 
			 2004 620 272 268 11.1 
			 2005 557 265 256 11.3 
			 2006 532 237 229 12.2 
			 (1) The difference in the number sentenced to immediate custody and number for which sentencing data are available relates to the number sentenced to Juvenile Justice Centre orders. Data on sentence lengths for this type of disposal are not available. In 2006, there is one additional offender for whom the sentence length is not available.  Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: number convicted of burglary in a non-dwelling, the number sentenced to immediate custody and the average custodial sentence length (in months) 2002-06 
			   Number convicted  Number sentenced to immediate custody  Number for which sentence length data are available( 1)  Average custodial sentence length (months) 
			 2002 295 118 113 6.5 
			 2003 290 131 121 7.8 
			 2004 285 118 115 8.0 
			 2005 217 83 78 7.9 
			 2006 225 90 86 8.8 
			 (1) The difference in the number sentenced to immediate custody and number for which sentencing data are available relates to the number sentenced to Juvenile Justice Centre orders. Data on sentence lengths for this type of disposal are not available.  Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has issued guidance to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Northern Ireland Office staff are requested to minimise energy waste by turning off their computers and monitors at the end of each working day. Guidance on closing down personal computers correctly has been issued to staff via the NIO Intranet.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it is his policy to release the home addresses of  (a) senior and  (b) middle-ranking officials in his Department, if requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what assessment he has made of the implications for personal security resulting from the release of such data.

Paul Goggins: Departments deal with requests for information on a case-by-case basis, applying exemptions where it is necessary and appropriate to do so. Any request for officials' home addresses would be handled in this way.

Departmental Manpower

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many staff were employed in his Department in each year since 1978, broken down by grade;
	(2)  how many staff in his Department were members of the  (a) Home Civil Service and  (b) Northern Ireland Civil Service in each year since 1978;
	(3)  how many staff in his Department worked part-time or on a job-share basis in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is available for the last six years and is set out in the following table. It could be obtained for earlier years only at disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Number 
			  Staff type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 SCS 48 48 50 47 47 47 
			 Grade A 146 164 168 188 186 194 
			 Grade B1 169 194 203 216 266 287 
			 Grade B2 246 255 268 265 257 232 
			 Grade C 397 425 464 453 448 459 
			 Grade D1 437 457 493 564 583 573 
			 Grade D2 280 263 270 333 262 270 
			 Industrial 6 6 6 9 28 31 
			 NICS 1,550 1,631 1,752 1,923 1,930 1,960 
			 HCS 179 181 170 152 147 133 
			 Full-time 1,548 1,608 1,695 1,830 1,827 1,840 
			 Part-time or job share 181 204 227 245 250 253

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what the cost was of  (a) salaries paid in respect of permanent Civil Service posts,  (b) salaries paid in respect of permanent non-Civil Service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in his Department in each month since May 2005;
	(2)  how many  (a) permanent Civil Service posts,  (b) permanent non-Civil Service posts and  (c) temporary or agency workers there were in his Department in each month since May 2005.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of staff within the Northern Ireland Office in each month since May 2005 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following tables provide a snapshot of the position in specific months for which figures are available. The information supplied in relation to temporary staff does not include agency staff as they are not paid via the Northern Ireland Office payroll.
	No staff have been employed within the Northern Ireland Office as  (b) permanent non-civil servants within the timescales specified.
	
		
			  Table A 
			   Permanent civil services posts (full-time equivalent posts) 
			 May 2005 1,801.5 
			 April 2006 1,957.5 
			 April 2007 1,953 
			  Source:  Figures taken from monthly manpower figures. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B 
			   Posts fill ed  by temporary staff 
			 May 2005 48 
			 April 2006 62 
			 April 2007 30 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C 
			   Salaries paid to permanent and temporary staff () 
			 May 2005 4,735,607.81 
			 April 2006 5,062,393.03 
			 April 2007 5,221,924.87

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to  (a) all staff and  (b) staff at senior civil service level in his Department in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many payments were made.

Shaun Woodward: The information is as follows:
	 (a) All staff
	In 2007-08, 557,000 was paid to all staff in the Department and its agencies as end-of-year performance bonuses.
	 (b) Senior civil service
	In 2007-08, of the aforementioned amount at  (a), 298,650 was paid to SCS staff as end-of-year performance bonuses.
	The aforementioned payments were made to a total of 364 staff in the 2007-08 financial year, and related to performance in the 2006-07 reporting year. These bonuses, which are non-consolidated and non-pensionable, are used to reward excellent performance throughout the year, and are based on a judgment of how well an individual has performed relative to their peers.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to ensure that Northern Ireland-based civil servants in his Department who are entitled to take up added years or additional voluntary contributions are aware of how to apply.

Shaun Woodward: Circulars are issued to existing staff by our pension providers whenever new information becomes available. Staff were informed in November 2007 of the withdrawal of the facility to top up pension benefits by buying added years of pensionable service from 1 March 2008, and provided with details on the introduction of added pension from the same date.
	Existing staff have been advised that information about the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, including information on additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) is available on the following websites:
	www.civilservicepensions-ni.gov.uk
	for Northern Ireland Civil Servants and
	www.civilservicepensions.co.uk
	for Home Civil Servants.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are taken to ensure that at the commencement of employment in his Department staff are informed of the benefits of additional voluntary schemes.

Shaun Woodward: All new entrants are provided with a pension pack at the commencement of their employment which includes information on additional voluntary contributions and refers them to the information contained on the following websites:
	www.civilservicepensions-ni.gov.uk
	for Northern Ireland Civil Servants and
	www.civilservicepensions.co.uk
	for Home Civil Servants.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of his Department's staff in the salary ranges of  (a) up to 15,000 per annum,  (b) between 15,001 and 30,000 per annum,  (c) between 30,001 and 50,000 per annum and  (d) over 50,000 per annum participated in additional voluntary contributions schemes in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: In 2007-08, 3.1 per cent. of the Department participated in additional voluntary contributions schemes, the numbers of which are broken down as follows:
	 (a) Up to 15,000: 6 staff;
	 (b) 15,001 to 30,000: 25 staff;
	 (c) 30,001 to 50,000: 23 staff;
	 (d) Over 50,000: 6 staff.

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on  (a) written consultations,  (b) consultation roadshows and  (c) stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table displays the amount the Northern Ireland Office and its Executive agencies has spent on  (a) written consultation,  (b) consultation roadshows and  (c) stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years:
	
		
			   
			   Written consultation  Consultation roadshows  Stakeholder focus groups 
			 2005-06 4,218.95  6,032.25 
			 2006-07 30,326.24 2,344.78 16,375.02 
			 2007-08 16,426.07 2,875.30 6,878.00

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultants have been contracted by his Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure his Department has incurred on each such contract to date.

Shaun Woodward: In each of the last three years the Northern Ireland Office and executive agencies have contracted the following consultants to conduct public participation activities:
	
		
			   Consultant contracted to conduct the public participation activity  Cost of contract to date () 
			 2005-06 NI Youth Forum 2,516.44 
			
			 2006-07 NI Youth Forum 3,130.00 
			  Deloitte(1) 53,000.00 
			
			 2007-08 NI Youth Forum 1,007.00 
			  Milward Brown Ulster 21,385.00 
			 (1 )This company was contracted to carry out a customer satisfaction survey which involved meeting members of the public.

Deportation: Northern Ireland

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many foreign nationals received a recommendation for deportation by the sentencing judge in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Data are available only from 1 October 2006. Between 1 October 2006 and 30 September 2007, six persons received a recommendation for deportation.

Domestic Violence

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were convicted of domestic abuse offences in  (a) A District Command Unit area,  (b) B District Command Unit area and  (c) Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; and what average sentence was imposed.

Paul Goggins: At present specific information on domestic assaults is not included in court conviction and sentencing data. It is not possible, therefore, to separate domestic violence from other violent offences.
	It is, however, possible to give the number convicted of offences which, by their definition, relate to domestic violence. Specifically for the requested policing districts these are: 'breach of non-molestation order' and 'breach of occupation order'. Conviction and sentencing data for these offences are documented in Tables 1 and 2 for Policing District A, Tables 3 and 4 for Policing District B and Tables 5 and 6 for Northern Ireland. An additional domestic violence offence of breach of exclusion requirement' is documented in Table 7 for Northern Ireland.
	A wider range of information on the incidence and impact of domestic violence is available from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey at:
	http://www.nio.gov.uk/experience_of_domestic_violence_findings_from_the_ 2005_northern_ireland_crime_survey.pdf
	and from PSNI statistics at:
	http://www.psni.police.uk/2._domestic_incidents_and_crimes-5.pdf.
	Data are only available from 2000 onwards and the data in the following tables cover the calendar years 2000 to 2006 (the latest available years). Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of non-molestation order' for Policing District A  2000- 06. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 31 33 21 30 32 32 32 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 14 6 1 7 3 3 3 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 2.1 2.2 2.0 4.9 6.0 1.7 1.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of occupation order' for Policing District A 2000-06. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 2 6 9 3 2 2 2 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 0 3.0 1.0 0.5 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of non-molestation order' for Policing District B 2000-06. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 15 16 22 23 37 27 12 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 7 0 1 2 3 1 0 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 1.5 0 1.0 2.0 2.3 2.0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of occupation order' for Policing District B 2000-06. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 2 1 3 4 6 0 1 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of non-molestation order' for Northern Ireland 2000-06. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003( 1)  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 188 219 236 239 255 253 245 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 35 20 17 22 24 24 26 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 2.0 2.2 2.1 3.0 2.4 1.9 2.6 
			 (1) Average sentence length in 2003 excludes one sentenced to juvenile justice centre order. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 6: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of occupation order' for Northern Ireland 2000-06. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 26 34 48 36 37 25 21 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 3 3 3 2 4 3 3 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 3.0 2.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.7 2.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 7: Number of convictions, number sentenced to immediate custody and average sentence length (in months) for 'breach of exclusion requirement5 for Northern Ireland 2000-06( 1) 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Number of convictions 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Number sentenced to immediate custody 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) There were no convictions for this offence in Policing Districts A or B

Driving Under Influence

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were convicted of drink-driving offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) sex.

Paul Goggins: Tables 1 and 2 give the number convicted for drink/drug related driving offences by age group and gender respectively.
	Data cover the calendar years 1997 to 2006 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table 1: number of convictions for drink/drug related driving offences( 1)  by age group 1997-06 
			   Age group 
			   10 to 17  18 to 24  25 to 29  30 to 39  40 to 49  50 to 59  60 and over  Missing( 2)  Total 
			 1997 18 463 402 715 456 204 76 16 2,350 
			 1998 19 512 398 725 459 159 88 19 2,379 
			 1999 20 598 452 780 450 242 77 19 2,638 
			 2000 22 582 384 720 446 249 77 1 2,481 
			 2001 15 469 300 588 438 223 80 0 2,113 
			 2002 19 509 330 611 483 209 91 1 2,253 
			 2003 14 533 352 722 554 272 121 0 2,568 
			 2004 21 533 341 733 640 287 124 0 2,679 
			 2005 29 556 404 723 614 338 137 6 2,807 
			 2006 13 563 420 752 632 312 111 6 2,809 
			 (1) It is not possible to separate out drug-related offences from alcohol-related offences for the offences of 'driving when unfit through drink or drugs', 'driving while under the influence of drink or drugs', 'attempting to drive while under the influence of drink or drugs' and 'in charge of a vehicle when under the influence of drink or drugs'. These data are included in the table. (2) Missing data relate to those offenders for whom age information is not available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: number of convictions for drink/drug related driving offences( 1)  by gender 1997-06 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			 1997 2,127 223 2,350 
			 1998 2,120 259 2,379 
			 1999 2,388 250 2,638 
			 2000 2,223 258 2,481 
			 2001 1,857 256 2,113 
			 2002 1,971 282 2,253 
			 2003 2,229 339 2,568 
			 2004 2,346 333 2,679 
			 2005 2,418 389 2,807 
			 2006 2,447 362 2,809 
			 (1) It is not possible to separate out drug-related offences from alcohol-related offences for the offences of 'driving when unfit through drink or drugs', 'driving while under the influence of drink or drugs' 'attempting to drive while under the influence of drink or drugs' and 'in charge of a vehicle when under the influence of drink or drugs'. These data are included in the table.

Hillsborough Castle: Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to the public purse was of food and drink provided in Hillsborough Castle as a consequence of its use as a ministerial residence in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: It is not possible to separately identify the cost of food and drink consumed by Ministers when residing at Hillsborough Castle from the overall departmental expenditure for hospitality.

Hillsborough Castle: Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times he has used his official ministerial residence in Hillsborough Castle since his appointment.

Shaun Woodward: Accommodation in Hillsborough Castle is made available to me as a residence while in Northern Ireland. The Castle is also Her Majesty the Queen's residence in the province, is used as a conference centre, hosts charity fund raising events and is open to the public.
	Official residences are assigned to Ministers by the Prime Minister either on grounds of security or in order to allow them to perform better their official duties. Rules on the use of official residences are set out in the Ministerial Code.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Sick Leave

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days off work due to stress-related illnesses there were on average among police personnel in Northern Ireland in  (a) 2002 and  (b) 2007.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer.
	The average number of working days lost for stress related illnesses in 2002-03 and 2007-08 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			   Average working days lost in 2002-03  Average working days lost in 2007-08 
			 Police officers 5.42 2.25 
			 Civil servants (police staff) 2.2 1.3 
			 Direct recruits (police staff) 1.1 1.3

Prisoner Release: Foreigners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many foreign nationals were released from prison in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Prior to July 2006 statistics are only available on those foreign national prisoners released from Northern Ireland prisons who were serving a sentence of 12 months or more. (This was in line with the requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Department.)
	According to NIPS records between January 2000 to January 2004, nine foreign national prisoners in this category were released, of whom four were released into IND custody for consideration for removal or deportation, following notification of IND by the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
	Between January 2004 and June 2006, 16 foreign national prisoners of this category were released, of whom seven were similarly released into IND custody.
	Between July 2006 and June 2007 26 foreign national prisoners, whether sentenced or remand, were released, of whom 21 were released into IND custody for consideration for removal or deportation. Of the remainder:
	72 were released time served;
	96 were released on bail;
	25 were discharged by the court;
	11 were released fine paid;
	One was released by hospital order.
	From July 2007 to April 2008, 242 foreign national prisoners were released of whom 41 were released to the Borders and Immigration Agency for consideration for removal or deportation. Of the remainder:
	101 were released time served;
	72 were released on bail;
	18 were discharged by the court;
	Eight were released fine paid;
	Two were released by hospital order.
	These figures include immigration detainees held on immigration warrants.

Suicide: Belfast

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people committed suicide in Belfast North constituency in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) sex; and how many of these deaths involved the use of firearms.

Paul Goggins: Information on deaths, including suicides, is held by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, which is an agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel within the Northern Ireland Executive.

JUSTICE

Bail

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants were charged with violence against the person, sexual offences or robbery in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; how many and what proportion of those so charged were  (a) granted and  (b) refused bail; and what condition of schedule 1 of the Bail Act 1976 was cited as the reason not to grant bail in each case for which such information is available.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against for violence against the person offences, sexual offences and robbery in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2006 is in table 1. Charging data are not collected centrally by my Department; data relating to those defendants proceeded against have been supplied instead.
	Data showing the number of defendants remanded on bail by the courts for offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery, in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be found in table 2. The data include those held in custody at any stage during proceedings. Bail data broken down by offence group prior to 2004 are not collated centrally. The bail data supplied relate to the offence at the outcome of court proceedings, which may differ from the original charged offence. These data are taken from the 'Criminal Statistics, England and Wales' publications, 2004-06.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	It is not possible to provide information on the proportion of those proceeded against who were bailed, as the data to compile the proportion are on different bases, and therefore are not comparable. Data on the number of persons refused bail and the reasons for refusal are not collected by my Department.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for violence against the person offences, sexual offences and robbery, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2) 
			   Offence type 
			   Violence against the person  Sexual offences  Robbery 
			 1997 70,561 7,028 10,781 
			 1998 75,243 7,763 10,450 
			 1999 75,315 7,817 10,321 
			 2000 75,502 7,263 12,142 
			 2001 76,706 8,424 14,871 
			 2002 78,446 9,102 15,644 
			 2003 79,612 9,121 13,732 
			 2004 71,752 9,579 12,404 
			 2005 68,172 9,711 12,526 
			 2006 64,763 9,074 13,226 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court Proceedings Database. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Estimated number of persons remanded on bail for selected offence groups, at magistrates or the Crown court, England and Wales, 2004-06( 1) 
			  Type of offence  Total number bailed at all courts( 2, 3 ) (thousand) 
			  Violence against the person( 4)  
			 2004 71.8 
			 2005 67.1 
			 2006 64.8 
			   
			  Sexual offences( 4)  
			 2004 10.8 
			 2005 10.5 
			 2006 10.1 
			  Robbery( 4)  
			 2004 10.6 
			 2005 9.3 
			 2006 9.8 
			 (1 )These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2 )Includes those also held in custody at some stage and those failing to appear to bail.  (3) Excludes defendants reported as failing to appear to a summons although some of these cases, having been initiated by a summons may have resulted in the defendant being remanded on bail.  (4) The offence is that which the defendant is acquitted or convicted of, which may differ from the original offence the defendant was charged with.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court Proceedings Database.

Bail

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of  (a) defendants released on bail and  (b) defendants charged with violence against the person, sexual offences or robbery and then released on bail (i) failed to turn up for sentencing and (ii) broke their bail conditions in other ways in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the estimated number of persons remanded on bail by the courts, and subsequently failing to appear to bail at court, in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2006 (latest available) can be found in the following table. The data include those held in custody at some stage during proceedings. A breakdown by offence group is available only for 2004 onwards. These data are taken from the 'Criminal Statistics, England and Wales' publications, 1997-2006.
	Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not distinguish between those failing to appear at court for sentencing and those failing to appear at court at other stages during proceedings. Additionally, the data do not identify other breaches of bail conditions.
	
		
			  Estimated number of persons remanded on bail and failing to appear, at magistrates or the Crown court, 1997-2006( 1) , England and Wales 
			  Type of offence  Total number bailed at all courts( 2, 3 ) (thousand)  Number failing to appear to bail (thousand)  Percentage of those bailed failing to appear 
			  Violence against the person( 4)
			 2004 71.8 6.5 9 
			 2005 67.1 5.7 8 
			 2006 64.8 5.5 9 
			 
			  Sexual offences( 4)
			 2004 10.8 0.5 4 
			 2005 10.5 0.5 5 
			 2006 10.1 0.5 5 
			 
			  Robbery( 4)
			 2004 10.6 0.8 8 
			 2005 9.3 0.7 7 
			 2006 9.8 0.7 7 
			  All offences
			 1997 601.4 68.5 11 
			 1998 640.2 74.9 12 
			 1999 593.7 73.9 12 
			 2000 583.1 72.7 12 
			 2001 598.7 77.7 13 
			 2002 585.5 87.3 15 
			 2003 598.7 83.7 14 
			 2004 633.0 83.8 13 
			 2005 590.0 72.3 12 
			 2006 562.3 67.2 12 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (2) Includes those also held in custody at some stage and those failing to appear to bail.  (3 )Excludes defendants reported as failing to appear to a summons although some of these cases, having been initiated by a summons may have resulted in the defendant being remanded on bail.  (4) The offence is that which the defendant is acquitted or convicted of, which may differ from the original offence the defendant was charged with.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court Proceedings Database.

Bail

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of offenders released on bail in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available were  (a) originally charged with and  (b) subsequently sentenced for offences of violence against the person, sexual offences or robbery.

Maria Eagle: Data showing the number and proportion of defendants remanded on bail for offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery, in England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be found in the following table. The data include those held in custody at any stage during proceedings. Bail data broken down by offence group prior to 2004 are not collated centrally. These data are taken from the Criminal Statistics, England and Wales publications, 2004-06.
	Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform records the offence at the outcome of court proceedings, which may differ from the original charged offence. Bail data are not collated separately for defendants who are sentenced for specific offence groups. The figures given relate to all defendants, whether convicted and sentenced or acquitted.
	
		
			  Estimated number and proportion of persons remanded on bail for selected offence groups, at magistrates or the Crown court, England and Wales, 2004-06( 1) 
			  Type of offence  Total number bailed at all courts( 2,3)  (thousand)  Percentage of all those bailed for all offences 
			  Violence against the person( 4)   
			 2004 71.8 11.3 
			 2005 67.1 11.4 
			 2006 64.8 11.5 
			
			  Sexual offences( 4)   
			 2004 10.8 1.7 
			 2005 10.5 1.8 
			 2006 10.1 1.8 
			
			  Robbery( 4)   
			 2004 10.6 1.7 
			 2005 9.3 1.6 
			 2006 9.8 1.7 
			
			  All offences   
			 2004 633.0 100 
			 2005 590.0 100 
			 2006 562.3 100 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Includes those also held in custody at some stage and those failing to appear to bail. (3) Excludes defendants reported as failing to appear to a summons although some of these cases, having been initiated by a summons may have resulted in the defendant being remanded on bail. (4) The offence is that which the defendant is acquitted or convicted of, which may differ from the original offence the defendant was charged with.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court Proceedings Database

Bail

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many defendants granted bail in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available  (a) had previous convictions for violence against the person, sexual offences or robbery,  (b) had committed previous offences while on bail,  (c) had committed offences while on early or temporary release on licence from prison,  (d) were convicted but unsentenced offenders and  (e) were convicted of offences which passed the custodial threshold but were as yet unsentenced.

Maria Eagle: Court proceedings data held by my Department do not identify the criminal history of defendants granted bail, or whether persons were on bail at the time of committing an offence.
	The court may withhold bail if it is satisfied that there are substantial grounds for believing that, if released on bail, the defendant would abscond, commit an offence, interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice. In making its decision the court must consider all the circumstances of the case as appear to be relevant. The nature of the alleged offence is only one factor, and the others include the weight of the evidence against the defendant, the defendant's character, antecedents, associations, community ties and past record of complying with bail, as well as any other factors which appear relevant to the court.

British Nationality

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which proposals in Lord Goldsmith's citizenship review report have been accepted by the Government; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Lord Goldsmith's review of citizenship made a significant contribution to the current debate about modernising our constitution and is an important step towards clarifying the legal and social rights and responsibilities that come with British citizenship.
	The Government are currently considering proposals in the context of their wider reforms, including proposals set out in the Green Paper 'The Path to Citizenship', published on 20 February and forthcoming work on a possible Bill of Rights and Responsibilities and a Statement of Values.

Chelmsford Prison: Drugs

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 269, on Chelmsford prison: drugs, what the reasons are for the reduction in the rate of those tested positive for drugs in Chelmsford prison between 2003-04 and 2007-08.

David Hanson: Prisons have in place a comprehensive drug strategy:
	reducing supply, through security measures and drug testing programmes;
	reducing demand, through targeted treatment interventions for low, moderate and severe drug-misusers; and
	establishing effective through-care links to ensure continuity of treatment post-release in order to safeguard the gains made in custody.
	The close integration of measures makes it difficult to identify specific elements that lead to a reduction in drug misuse.
	Chelmsford prison has over the past five years achieved a commendable reduction in the level of drug misuse as measured by random mandatory drug testingdown 73 per cent. Chelmsford prison runs a dedicated search team which utilises hand held body scanners plus other searching aids, including a trained and licensed mobile telephone detection dog, which have proved effective detecting drugs and mobile phones. It has received an award from Essex Drug and Alcohol Action Team in 2005-6 for its outstanding work with drug treatment.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether it is Government policy to release the home addresses of  (a) senior and  (b) middle-ranking officials in the Prime Minister's office, if requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and what assessment he has made of the implications for personal security resulting from the release of such data.

Jack Straw: Departments deal with requests for information on a case-by-case basis, applying exemptions where it is necessary and appropriate to do so. Any request for officials' home addresses would be handled in this way.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Maria Eagle: Information on how much was spent on translation services and interpreters in different languages is not separately recorded and could be ascertained only at a disproportional cost.
	Total costs spent on translation services and interpreters for each part of the Department in 2007-08 are as follows:
	 MoJ H Q (including former DCA)
	Translation Services: 272,877
	Interpreters: 22,652,683
	The majority of MoJ HQ spend on interpreters is for the payments made from central legal aid fund to interpreters in defence cases.
	 HMCS
	HMCS spent 200,000 on translation services. HMCS would only be able to identify spend on interpreters at a disproportionate cost.
	 Tribunals
	Translation Services: 5,552
	Interpreters: 5,057,554
	 OPG
	The OPG only use one natural account code to capture expenditure on translation services and interpreters and there is no split between different languages. The total for that account for the 2007-08 financial year was 65,500.
	 OCJR
	OCJR spent 448 on translation services and nothing on interpreters.
	 NOMS Centre
	NOMS spent 32,000 on interpreters. NOMS do not separately identify expenditure on translation services within their accounts and data may be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	 HMPS
	The Prison Service does not record this information to the degree of detail required to answer this question. Spend on translation services is captured as Professional Advice. This category of spend also captures other professional advice such as legal fees etc. Even to collate an estimate of likely spend, would involve asking all prison and HQ units to check contracts and or invoices, these individual returns would then need to be collated and checked for reasonableness at the centre. The cost of this sort of exercise could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

House of Lords: Reform

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish plans for reform of the House of Lords.

Jack Straw: The Government expect to publish a White Paper on House of Lords reform before the summer recess.

Judges: Housing

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice under what circumstances are judges' lodgings made available to members of the judiciary; what criteria apply to their allocation; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Judges' lodgings are available to High Court judges when they are away from the Royal Courts of Justice dealing with business on any of the (six) judicial circuits in England and Wales. The allocation of judicial business is managed by the regional directors office responsible for the circuit in question, in consultation with the relevant senior presiding judge. In addition, lodgings can and are made available to circuit judges and barristers sitting as deputy High Court judges and circuit judges sitting in their own capacity away from their own court(s).

Judges: Housing

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which holders of judicial posts are provided with official residences; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: No holders of judicial posts are provided with official residences.

Offenders: Electronic Tagging

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in each age cohort were subject to an electronic tagging order in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The following table shows the number of occasions a curfew with electronic monitoring was ordered by the Courts in England and Wales in each of the last three financial years, broken down by Juveniles (aged 10 to 17) and Adults (aged 18 and over). Data on more specific age ranges is not routinely collected, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The table does not include those released from prison on Home Detention Curfew or on licence with curfew condition.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			  Adult curfews
			 Bail 2,115 8,875 14,710 
			 Community sentence 22,369 28,778 38,785 
			 Total 24,484 37,653 53,495 
			 
			  Juvenile curfews
			 Bail 6,433 9,452 10,226 
			 Community sentence 8,418 9,805 10,975 
			 Total 14,851 19,257 21,201 
			 
			 Total orders 39,335 56,910 74,696 
		
	
	The data is based on monthly statistical returns provided to the Ministry of Justice by the electronic monitoring suppliers Serco and G4S.

Open Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in open prisons in England and Wales were convicted of  (a) offences of violence,  (b) sexual offences or  (c) offences of supplying illegal drugs.

Jack Straw: At the end of March 2008 there were  (a) 1,240 prisoners serving sentences for violence against the person offences,  (b) 50 prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences, and  (c) 1,270 prisoners serving sentences for drugs offences in prison establishments in England and Wales whose main function is as an open prison.
	Open prisons house category D prisoners. These are prisoners whose risk of absconding is considered to be low and who have been assessed as posing a low risk of harm to the public. Within this population are long term prisoners coming towards the end of their sentence who, over time, have substantially reduced their level of risk and who would benefit from the regime available in an open prison as part of their preparation for eventual release.
	It is not possible to show the number serving sentences for specific types of drug offences as the data is not accurate to this level.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and the figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether the Government plan to uprate the upper limit of 500,000 compensation that can be received by victims of violent crime under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme;
	(2)  whether the Government intend to amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to reflect the severity of injuries suffered by victims of terrorist attacks in England, Scotland and Wales.

Jack Straw: The Government are considering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme and will make an announcement in due course. The Great Britain's Scheme is the most generous within the European Union and, probably, the world.

Peter Sutcliffe

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to ensure that Peter Sutcliffe is never released from imprisonment; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: No mandatory life sentence prisoner convicted of murder can be considered for release until they have served their tariff or minimum term, i.e. the period of imprisonment considered necessary for the requirements of retribution and deterrence. The release of all tariff expired life and indeterminate sentenced prisoners, including those detained in special hospitals as well as in prisons, is now a matter for the independent Parole Board. The Parole Board can direct a lifer's release on or after tariff expiry, only if it is satisfied that the prisoner no longer poses a risk of serious harm to the public. Where a whole life tariff has been set, the Parole Board cannot determine the question of release.
	Under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, the responsibility for setting minimum terms in mandatory lifer cases transferred from the Home Secretary to the courts. Transitional arrangements in the Act allow any existing mandatory life sentence lifer whose tariff has been set by Ministers or whose tariff has not yet been set, to apply to have a tariff set or re-set by the High Court. It is understood that Peter Sutcliffe has submitted representations to the High Court under those transitional processes. In fact, no tariff was set by Ministers in this case.
	It is a matter for the High Court to determine the tariff in Mr. Sutcliffe's case. If the court fixes a whole life tariff, then his case cannot be referred to the Parole Board for consideration of release. Mr. Sutcliffe was transferred to Broadmoor hospital in 1984 and has remained there ever since. For as long as he remains lawfully detained in hospital under Mental Health Act powers, and meets the Mental Health Act criteria for detention, his release cannot be considered by the Parole Board, even in the event that he received a determinate tariff by the High Court.

Prison Service: Labour Turnover

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Prison Governors' Association on the turnover of prison governors.

Maria Eagle: The Prison Governors' Association have not requested any discussion with the Secretary of State or ministerial colleagues regarding the turnover of prison governors and have not raised this area in any recorded correspondence. However, National Offender Management Service officials maintain an ongoing dialogue with PGA representatives, and are willing to discuss with the PGA any views or concerns it may have on this issue.

Prisoner Release

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have opted out of or failed to apply for  (a) end of custody licence and  (b) home detention curfew in each year since these schemes were initiated.

Jack Straw: The following table shows the number of prisoners who, according to the Prison Service IT system, were potentially eligible for the home detention curfew (HDC) scheme and who opted out in each year since the scheme began on 28 January 1999:
	
		
			   Number who opted out 
			 1999 1,500 
			 2000 5,700 
			 2001 7,800 
			 2002 6,300 
			 2003 5,100 
			 2004 3,900 
			 2005 3,500 
			 2006 3,200 
		
	
	Data are not held as to why prisoners have opted out of being considered for HDC. However, among the most likely reasons are that the prisoner cannot provide details of a release address or will consider that that he/she is highly unlikely to pass the risk assessment and so does not bother to apply.
	Information on the number of people who opt out of the end of custody licence scheme is not recorded.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoner Release: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners have been released on end of custody licence.

Jack Straw: Foreign national prisoners who will be subject to deportation at the end of their sentence are not eligible for release under the End of Custody Licence scheme. I refer the hon. Member to the regular publication 'End of Custody Licence: releases and recalls', copies of which are available from the Library of the House and the Ministry of Justice website
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	Between 29 June 2007 and 31 March 2008, there were 23,716 releases from all prisons in England and Wales under the End of Custody Licence Scheme. Of these, 1,384 were foreign national prisoners (6 per cent.) not liable for deportation, consisting of 767 EU nationals and 617 non EU nationals.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoner Transfers

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the maximum time is for which a prisoner may be confined in a prisoner transport vehicle without a break.

Maria Eagle: For long journeys, the maximum time that escort contractors can confine a prisoner in a prisoner transport vehicle without a break is two and a half hours. If a journey is scheduled to take less than two and a half hours but is delayed due to road conditions, prisoners are offered a comfort stop where this is practical and possible.

Prisoners: Foreigners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners held in Category D prisons were convicted of  (a) Class A drug trafficking,  (b) terrorist offences and  (c) violent offences.

Jack Straw: It is not possible to check all offences for any association with terrorism without exceeding cost limits, and it is not possible to provide a breakdown of drug offences by class of drug.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those convicted under terrorist legislation and those convicted under other legislation but following a terrorist investigation. As soon as this is complete a statistical bulletin to cover information on arrests and convictions will be published.
	The total number of foreign national prisoners held in open prisons, at the end of December 2007, by all offence categories, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Violence against the person 40 
			 Sex offences 10 
			 Robbery 20 
			 Burglary (1) 
			 Theft and Handling 10 
			 Fraud and Forgery 20 
			 Drug offences 80 
			 Motoring 10 
			 Other offences 20 
			 Total 210 
			 (1) Fewer than 10.   Note:  Data have been rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	Establishment classified as open are Askham Grange, East Sutton Park (with open YOI unit), Ford, Hewell Grange, Hollesley Bay (with open YOI unit), Kirkham, Leyhill, Moorland open (with open YOI unit), North Sea Camp, Spring Hill, Standford Hill, Sudbury, Thorn Cross and Usk/Prescoed.
	In addition to these establishments, Drake Hall, Morton Hall, Norwich, Reading and Wealstun prisons have small open units but population data is not available at this level.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Self-Mutilation

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many instances of self-harm by women prisoners were recorded in each year since 2000, broken down by establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: As a new system for recording self-harm was introduced in December 2002 and only bedded down over the course of 2003, figures before and after 2003 are not comparable. Under the new system a wider range of incidents are captured. The information requested is presented in the following tables.
	As the presence or absence of serial self-harmers in a prison can account for a disproportionate number of self-harm incidents, rises or falls in the numbers of such incidents from one year to the next is not a good indicator of underlying trends at individual prisons.
	
		
			  Table 1: Self-harm incidents using F213SH (not directly comparable with earlier years) 
			  Prison  2003( 1)  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Askham Grange 1 0 2 1 0 
			 Brockhill(2) 674 475 278 252 (3) 
			 Bronzefield (3) 274 831 1,165 1,736 
			 Buckley Hall(2) 765 1,082 597 * * 
			 Bullwood Hall(2) 659 1,065 1,584 305 2 
			 Cookham Wood 158 163 197 144 216 
			 Downview 185 71 362 282 255 
			 Drake Hall 18 23 44 22 56 
			 Durham(2) 317 241 56 * * 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Eastwood Park 789 1,163 2,597 2,147 1,992 
			 Edmunds Hill(2) 156 207 * * * 
			 Foston Hall 185 614 774 614 1,166 
			 Holloway 958 1,184 1,402 1,475 1,104 
			 Low Newton 381 800 1,129 746 984 
			 Morton Hall 63 50 49 81 60 
			 New Hall 1,689 1,125 1,065 1,266 1,191 
			 Peterborough (3) (3) 823 1,129 888 
			 Send 78 78 97 200 155 
			 Styal 376 1,061 1,416 1,581 1,312 
			 Winchester(2) 38 14 * * * 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Self-harm incidents pre-F213SH (not directly comparable with later years) 
			  Prison  2000  2001  2002( 1) 
			 Askham Grange 0 0 1 
			 Brockhill(2) 118 138 377 
			 Buckley Hall(2) * * 215 
			 BullwoodHall(2) 49 9 17 
			 Cookham Wood 9 29 110 
			 Downview 0 1 57 
			 Drake Hall 4 0 30 
			 Durham(2) 129 248 161 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 0 
			 Eastwood Park 33 213 341 
			 Edmunds Hill(2) 0 0 0 
			 Foston Hall 4 3 138 
			 Holloway 245 604 907 
			 Low Newton 22 107 284 
			 Morton Hall 0 10 28 
			 New Hall 124 329 357 
			 Send 8 17 33 
			 Styal 125 189 137 
			 Winchester(2) 0 0 14 
			 (1 )Transition year when F213SH implementation taking place.  (2) These prisons have changed function between female and male in the period in question: * denotes years when females were decanted from prisons changing function.  (3 )Prison not yet open.   Notes:  1. The self-harm incidents quoted are establishment but not age specific and will include adult women and those under 18 years old.  2. The numbers of self-harm incidents reported in the table are based on information supplied by prisons through the prisons Incident Reporting System. Due to high volume this is subject to technical and recording problems, and whilst the system provides an indication of the scale of self-harm the numbers should not be treated as absolute.  3. The numbers refer to incidents not people. Overall self-harm figures tend to be dominated by serial self-harmers. A significant proportion of self-harm is by the same prisoners on more than one occasion and these individuals account for a disproportionate number of incidents.

Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals have been detected attempting to break into prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The data shown in table 1 concern the number of individuals recorded on the National Offender Management Service Incident Reporting System who have been detected attempting to break into prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years. As multiple individuals were involved in some instances, data have also been provided for the number of incidents.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of individuals recorded on the National Offender Management Service Incident Reporting System who have been detected attempting to break into prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years 
			   Individuals involved  Total incidents 
			 2003-04 5 3 
			 2004-05 0 0 
			 2005-06 11 7 
			 2006-07 7 4 
			 2007-08 19 12 
			 Total 42 26 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit. 
		
	
	Of the 42 individuals identified as attempting to break into a prison, there is only one recorded instance of a member of the public managing to break into a closed prison. A breakdown of all the types of incidents where an individual has attempted to break into a prison is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: A break down of all the types of incidents where an individual has attempted to break into a prison 
			  Type of incident  Number of individuals involved 
			 Gained access to a closed establishment 1 
			 Gained or attempted access to an open establishment 25 
			 Individuals attempting access using a ladder against a wall or fence 13 
			 Individuals trying to climb a fence or wall into a closed establishment 3 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.

Prisons: Electronic Surveillance

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the discussions held between the hon. Member for Thurrock and his constituent Michael John Smith at Full Sutton Prison, York on 1 September 1999 and 30 July 2001 were covertly  (a) recorded,  (b) transmitted and  (c) monitored in some other way by or on behalf of any Government Department or agency; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: It is not our policy to confirm or deny surveillance operations in prisons. Since the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000) came into force, all forms of covert surveillance are subject to a strict and rigorous statutory regime for authorisations, and are conducted in accordance with the guidance set out in the statutory Codes of Practice. Independent oversight is provided, and is overseen by the Office of Surveillance Commissioner. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal was established to investigate and rule on any complaints.
	As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made clear in her statement on 21 February 2008,  Official Report, column 536, Sir Christopher Rose's inquiry into the surveillance of visits at Woodhill prison found
	no trace in recent years in prison records or anywhere else of any person known to be a Member of Parliament having been monitored during a prison visit.

Probation: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what changes he plans to make to staffing levels in the Kent probation area; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: In this financial year the Probation Service has received an extra 40 million. Kent's share in this was 1.2 million. This additional money, to support intensive work in the community with the most prolific offenders and increase Probation resource in courts to maintain sentencer confidence in community penalties, enabled the Kent Board to reconsider its previous position on compulsory redundancies.
	This extra funding is in addition to an average 2.7 per cent. increase on the 2007-08 Probation budgets and on an average of an extra 5.4 per cent. in respect of approved premises.
	Overall staffing levels in Kent probation increased by 7.4 per cent. between 2003 and 2007 (up 33.66 FTE to 488.50 FTE). Over the same period, staff in post increased by 12.6 per cent. in Probation Officer roles (up 18.75 FTE to 167.3 FTE) and 7.3 per cent. in Probation Services Officer roles (up 10.41 FTE to 153.7 FTE).

Reoffenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners sentenced for violence against the person, sexual offences, or robbery  (a) re-offended after release and  (b) were released on home detention curfew in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The number of adult prisoners discharged in the first quarters of 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 and sentenced for violence against the person, robbery or sexual offences who reoffended within one year of release are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of offende rs, number of offenders that re offended  within one-year and one-year re offending rates for violence against the person, robbery and sexual offences, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 cohorts 
			   Q1 
			   2000  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Violence  
			 Total number of offenders 2,661 2,518 2,460 2,813 2,959 
			 Number of offenders that reoffend 1,004 1,035 985 1,097 1,137 
			 Reoffending rate (percentage) 37.7 41.1 40.0 39.0 38.4 
			   
			  Robbery  
			 Total number of offenders 661 628 710 742 664 
			 Number of offenders that reoffend 275 249 288 264 204 
			 Reoffending rate (percentage) 41.6 39.6 40.6 35.6 30.7 
			   
			  Sexual  
			 Total number of offenders 353 347 355 456 486 
			 Number of offenders that reoffend 54 49 53 61 74 
			 Reoffending rate (percentage) 15.3 14.1 14.9 13.4 15.2 
		
	
	Further information on the latest reoffending statistics, and on frequency and severity of re-offending is given in the publication Re-offending of adults: new measures of re-offending 2000-2005 England and Wales, available from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/re-offending-adults-2000-05.pdf
	Figures showing the numbers of prisoners released on home detention curfew from all prisons in England and Wales in each year since 1999 when HDC started can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Released on home detention curfew 
			  Original offence   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Violence against the person Numbers released 2,577 2,990 2,854 3,693 3,564 3,157 3,204 2,490 
			  Population in sentence length band 6,788 7,875 8,121 8,235 8,740 9,093 10,064 9,840 
			  Percentage released 38 38 35 45 41 35 32 25 
			   
			 Sexual Offences Number released 24 29 17 20 8 6 2 0 
			  Population in sentence length band 1,120 1,326 1,197 1,193 1,238 1,162 1,236 1,203 
			  Percentage released 2 2 1 2 1 0.5164 0.1618 0 
			   
			 Robbery Number released 598 689 631 916 1257 961 901 709 
			  Population in sentence length band 1,740 2,057 2,146 2,376 2,877 2,527 2,451 2,284 
			  Percentage released 34 33 29 37 44 38 37 31 
		
	
	The figures are taken from annual volumes of the publication Offender Management Caseload Statistics (previously Prison Statistics England and Wales). Figures on sex offenders for 2004 were provided by My hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr. Sutcliffe) to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne) on 15 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 686-87W. Copies of these publications are available from the House of Commons Library and at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonand probation.htm
	Since March 2001 offenders required to register under the Sex Offenders Act 1997 (now replaced by part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) have been statutorily excluded from HDC. Prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences that are not subject to registration are presumed unsuitable for HDC unless there are exceptional circumstances.
	As noted in the footnote to published tables, the reasons for recall from home detention curfew are sometimes presented as the reason for the original imprisonment. Further investigations suggest that around 5 per cent. of offence types recorded do not relate to the offence for which they were sentenced and subsequently released on home detention curfew, but relate to offences committed after release from prison and before the licence expiry date for their sentence.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Terrorism: Prisoner Releases

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving a determinate sentence for a terrorism offence were released at the half-way point of their custodial sentence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: All offenders who receive a standard determinate sentence are automatically released at the halfway point of their sentence and remain under licence, subject to recall if they breach licence conditions, for the remainder of their sentence, under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Offenders who receive an indeterminate or extended sentence for a sexual or violent offence, are not automatically released, although an extended sentence prisoner may be released at the halfway point upon the Parole Board's discretion.
	I am unaware of any proposals which have been put before either House by any member during proceedings on the Terrorism Act 2000, the Criminal Justice Act 2003, or other relevant Bills for there to be different and specific arrangements relating to the release of those convicted of terrorist related offences and sentencers are fully aware of the release arrangements when they hand down a sentence for any offence.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data on conviction under terrorist legislation and those under other legislation but following a terrorist investigation. As soon as this is complete a statistical bulletin to cover information on arrests and convictions will be published.

Terrorism: Prisoner Releases

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 158, how many prisoners convicted of terrorist offences and serving a determinate sentence under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 will be automatically released after serving half of their sentence.

Jack Straw: All offenders who receive a standard determinate sentence are automatically released at the halfway point of their sentence and remain under licence, subject to recall if they breach licence conditions, for the remainder of their sentence, under Criminal Justice Act 2003. Offenders who receive an indeterminate or extended sentence for a sexual or violent offence, are not automatically released, although an extended sentence prisoner may be released at the halfway point upon the Parole Board's discretion.
	I am unaware of any proposals which have been put before either House by any member during proceedings on the Terrorism Act 2000, the Criminal Justice Act 2003, or other relevant Bills for there to be different and specific arrangements relating to the release of those convicted of terrorist related offences and sentencers are fully aware of the release arrangements when they hand down a sentence for any offence.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills) at Justice oral questions on 29 April that a wide range of offences are covered by the term terrorism. The most serious terrorists are generally sentenced to indeterminate sentences.
	The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data on conviction under terrorist legislation and those under other legislation but following a terrorist investigation. As soon as this is complete a statistical bulletin to cover information on arrests and convictions will be published.

Terrorism: Sentencing

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people convicted of terrorism offences were given  (a) determinate sentences,  (b) indeterminate sentences for public protection and  (c) life sentences, in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General's Office are currently working with the National Coordinator for Terrorist Investigations to improve the quality of data relating to those convicted under terrorist legislation and those convicted under other legislation but following a terrorist investigation. As soon as this is complete a statistical bulletin to cover information on arrests and convictions will be published.

Written Questions: Government Responses

George Young: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer Question 203296 on possession actions by registered social landlords, tabled by the right hon. Member for North West Hampshire on 28 April 2008.

Bridget Prentice: I replied to the right hon. Member for North-West Hampshire's question on 21 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 319-20. I apologise for the delay.

Young Offenders: Alternatives to Prison

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost of imposition of a  (a) community rehabilitation order,  (b) supervision order,  (c) community punishment order,  (d) attendance centre order,  (e) curfew order,  (f) reparation order,  (g) action plan order and  (h) referral order on a young offender per offender in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: This information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Cost of community sentences for young people (per person) 
			  Order   
			 Community Rehabilitation Order 2,096 
			 Supervision Order 4,059 
			 Community Punishment Order 2,096 
			 Attendance Centre Order 200 
			 Curfew Order (1)1,300 
			 Reparation Order 1,458 
			 Action Plan Order 1,458 
			 Referral Order 1,879 
			 (1) Cost given is the cost of a 90 day electronically monitored curfew. This figure includes a fixed set-up cost and daily monitoring charge, and is an average of all types of adult and juvenile monitoring (there is little variation between the two).

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many representatives of his Department are based in  (a) Kabul,  (b) Kandahar and  (c) Lashkar Gah.

Douglas Alexander: For security reasons the Department for International Development (DFID) does not publish details on the number and location of staff. However, DFID Afghanistan staff are spread across three locations: Kabul, Lashkar Gah and London.

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of attacks on UK aid workers which have taken place in Afghanistan in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Douglas Alexander: The Afghanistan NGO Security Office (ANSO) produces security reports aimed at the NGO community in Afghanistan that include details of security incidents involving NGOs. The reports do not disaggregate attacks by nationality. However, ANSO believes that no individual British aid worker has been involved in an attack by an armed opposition group in Afghanistan over the last 12 months. The latest armed attack on a UK-based NGO was in November 2007.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to the construction of a new mosque in Musa Qala in Helmand Province.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development (DFID) is not providing any direct assistance to the construction of a new mosque in Musa Qala. The mosque is being delivered by the Government of Afghanistan's Ministry for Rural Rehabilitation and Development with funding provided by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Lashkar Gah.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts worth more than 10,000 his Department has entered into with non-governmental organisations for projects in Helmand Province.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has entered in to one contract with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) for a development project in Helmand. The NGO, which would prefer to remain nameless for security reasons, received a grant of 999,447 to support an agricultural development programme which began in August 2007. In addition, DFID funding is supporting through the Government of Afghanistan the Bangladeshi NGO BRAC, to undertake community development and microfinance projects in Helmand, and the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) to establish credit unions.

Burma: Storms

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that independent monitors are present in Burma to ensure that relief aid to Burma reaches its intended recipients; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development's (DFID) emergency aid to Burma is going only to the UN, Red Cross and NGOs with experience working in humanitarian crises and in Burma. We have confidence in the monitoring mechanisms these partners have in place to ensure that DFID's emergency aid reaches its intended recipients. DFID maintains regular contact with the partners that it funds so that it is alerted as soon as possible to any problems they encounter with the delivery of aid. DFID is not channelling any assistance through the Government of Burma.
	We have not had any confirmed reports of the diversion of aid. Our efforts are currently focussed on widening access for international aid workers which is a higher priority than getting access for monitors.

Burma: Storms

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to provide aid relief to the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

Douglas Alexander: In the wake of Cyclone Nargis, the UK has already contributed 17 million for the humanitarian relief effort. This is being channelled through the UN, the Red Cross, and NGOs in Burma. We have logistics experts in Bangkok and Rangoon to help manage the delivery of relief supplies, as well as a six-person DFID emergency team deployed to Burma.
	As part of this contribution, DFID has provided 5 million in logistical support and relief supplies and flat bottomed boats and engines to enable delivery of humanitarian assistance in the inland waters of the Irrawaddy Delta.
	The Government have also had intensive diplomatic exchanges with key international partners, including Burma's regional friends such as China, India and Thailand, about what can be done to increase the delivery of international aid to victims of the cyclone and to persuade the Burmese authorities to allow greater access for humanitarian relief workers. We are strongly supportive of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) co-ordinating mechanism in Burma to distribute aid from the international community, agreed at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting on 19 May. We are encouraging the development of practical arrangements for ASEAN countries to deliver relief supplies directly to the affected areas.

Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the likely humanitarian implications of sea level rise as a result of the melting of Greenland ice.

Gareth Thomas: The precise interplay between climate change, sea level rises and the effect on vulnerable people has not been fully explored, but it is clear that sea level rises will have a huge impact. The nature of that impact will vary from place to place, but might include widespread loss of life, homes and livelihoods, and mass migration in small island states such as Vanuatu or low-lying areas of countries such as Bangladesh. Furthermore, as noted by the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, developing countries often lack the financial and other resources to protect or relocate people living in low-lying zones; this can make their populations far more vulnerable than people living in similar physical locations in developed countries.
	Climate changeincluding climate change adaptationis one of the central themes of the Department for International Development's (DFID) new five-year research strategy. Meanwhile, the UK Government are already funding work to help communities affected by sea-level rises. For example, in Bangladesh the 50 million DFID is providing over eight years to help poor households in the Chars region had included (as of January 2008) raising 43,500 homesteads above 1998 flood levels. Also, in India DFID is part-funding a study by the US-based Institute for Social and Economic Transition, which is setting out strategies for responding to the risks associated with climate change in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Departmental Aviation

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on  (a) economy class,  (b) business class and  (c) first class air travel in the period 1st April 2007 to 17th March 2008.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development's (DFID) expenditure on flights booked centrally for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 was 6,846,600, including economy class flights costing 1,254,979, business class flights costing 5,540,956 and first class flights costing 50,664. We cannot without incurring disproportionate costs specify precise expenditure as at 17 March 2008.
	All air travel is undertaken in compliance with DFID staff rules which preclude use of first class travel, except by Ministers, officials accompanying them, and the most senior members of the senior civil service.

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 322W, on departmental public participation, what the  (a) cost and  (b) number of respondents was for each listed piece of work.

Gillian Merron: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Company  Piece of work  Date  Number of respondents  Cost excluding VAT () 
			 Solutions Strategy Research Qualitative Research aimed at getting public opinions on ethical shopping, and the benefits it can bring to developing countries to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications activity. Conducted with focus groups over a four-week period; each group took approximately two hours, with 15 out of a total of 48 respondents having a follow-up telephone interview. April to June 2007 48 (across six focus groups) 19,600 
			  
			 Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB Questions on omnibus survey to provide interim measure on concern about global poverty among UK adults to inform, direct, and provide a solid factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty. June 2007 2,014 5,940 
			  
			 Taylor Nelson Sofres Annual attitudinal tracking survey into public perceptions of global poverty to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID on fighting global poverty. July 2007 2,051 47,500 
			  
			 ICM Quantitative research survey to measure UK adults' interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries to direct, inform and provide a factual basis for communications activity. November 2007 2,010 8,844 
			  
			 Creative Research Qualitative Stage of Audience Segmentation research to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. Conducted by focus group over a period of four weeks; each group lasted approximately two hours. Delivered in depth analysis of different segment, attitudes and values. January to February2008 112 (across 14 discussion groups) 52,895.62 
			  
			 Taylor Nelson Sofres RSGB Quantitative research (questions on omnibus survey) to measure UK adults' interest in shopping ethically and the benefits that it can bring to developing countries to direct, inform and provide a factual basis for communications activity. February 2008 2,072 7,400 
			  
			 Ipsos MORI Quantitative Stage of Audience Segmentation research, to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. Extended analysis required to provide a detailed segmentation of the audience to ensure that communication efforts are used in the most effective and efficient way. March to May 2008 Research is still under way, final figure not available, the target number is 2,000 respondents. 137,818 
			  
			 GfK NOP Annual Survey of Young People's attitudes towards global poverty and development issues. Results will provide trend data, drawing on previous survey work to enable comparisons to be made to inform, direct and provide a factual basis for communications on the work of DFID. March to June 2008 Research is still under way, final figure not available, the target number is 1,000 respondents. 23,745

Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time posts were filled on a temporary basis for a period in excess of six months in his Department in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not hold central records of the number of full-time posts that are filled on a temporary basis, and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Developing Countries: Debts

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government have taken to relieve developing countries of debt.

Douglas Alexander: Good progress has been made on relieving developing countries of debt as I outlined in the written statement to this House on 21 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 24-25WS. I refer my hon. Friend to this statement for details of what has been achieved.

Electronic Government

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether mechanisms are in place to monitor the extent to which his Department's  (a) internal and  (b) external (i) correspondence and (ii) distribution of publications is carried out electronically.

Shahid Malik: A high proportion of internal correspondence and publications are handled electronically, but this is not systematically monitored. Responses to external correspondence are normally made in the same format as the correspondence is received, and some monitoring is carried out where this is beneficial. Monitoring is carried out on the use of specific external publications on DFID's website when required.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 April from the hon. Member for Walsall, North on global education.

Gillian Merron: The reply to my hon. Friend for Walsall, North's letter of 22 April 2008 has been issued.

Overseas Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures for co-ordination between his Department and the Ministry of Defence are in place for training on humanitarian airdrop or relief operations.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence co-operate together closely on all operational aspects of humanitarian relief where military assets may be used, including training. This does not, however, include training for relief airdrops, which can be carried out without joint training.

Uganda: Refugees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether  (a) he,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) UK representatives in Uganda have had discussions with the government of Uganda on the provision of schooling in camps for displaced people and return areas for those affected by the conflict with the Lords Resistance Army in the northern districts of Uganda.

Gillian Merron: During his visit to Uganda in November 2007, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited a school in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp and had discussions with local government authorities on a range of issues including those relating to the provision of, and access to, education, stressing the importance of ensuring that education is a priority in the development of the Government of Uganda's Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).
	The Department for International Development (DFID) and other partners are currently in discussion with the Government of Uganda on the options for funding the implementation of the PRDP.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made in theatre of the Jackal M-WMIK vehicle's performance with its unladen weight increased by 42 per cent.

Bob Ainsworth: No formal assessment has yet been made in theatre regarding the performance of Jackal, as it has only very recently been delivered to theatre. We expect to receive initial feedback from theatre commanders on the performance of this vehicle shortly.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel from the Royal Engineers are based in Helmand Province; and what their duties are.

Bob Ainsworth: As of 1 May 2008, there were a total of around 400 Royal Engineer posts established in Helmand province: the actual number deployed at any particular time can and does vary, including through roulements, visits and periods of mid-tour leave.
	British military engineers in Helmand are conducting close engineer support (including tasks such as mobility support, counter mobility support, explosive ordnance disposal and search) and general engineer support (such as infrastructure development, construction, geographic support and civil-military co-operation). There are also a number of engineering personnel in Helmand Province who assist in training and mentoring the Afghan National Army.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maximum weight of cargo able to be carried by all variants of the CH-47 helicopter used by British forces in Afghanistan is.

Des Browne: The maximum weight of cargo able to be carried by all variants of the CH-47 helicopter used by the British forces in Afghanistan is kept under review to account for changes in environmental conditions, but is currently set at 5,000 kg.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 15-18WS, on helicopters on operations, which company provides the new contract for the civilian air transport used by ISAF in southern Afghanistan; on how many occasions UK troops have flown in aircraft so provided; how the contract is funded and what the UK's contribution is; what percentage of the assets used by the contractor to date has been  (a) rotary and  (b) fixed wing; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The company providing the new contract is Skylink. UK troops have never flown in the aircraft provided. The contract continues to be funded from NATO common funding and the UK continues to contribute a 12 per cent. share to that funding. Currently all assets used by the contractor have been rotary wing.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the security situation in Helmand Province.

Bob Ainsworth: International Security Assistance Force and Afghan armed forces continue to engage in successful operations against the Taliban in Helmand, pushing them back from populated areas and bringing more of the province under the control of the government of Afghanistan.
	Nevertheless, the insurgents continue to pose a threat through improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and opportunistic attacks.

Air Force: Military Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008,  Official Report, column 7W, on Air Force: military aid 
	(1)  in which Royal Air Force fixed wing cargo aircraft baseboards can be used; and how many baseboards each such aircraft can accommodate at one time;
	(2)  what the maximum load capacity of a single baseboard is.

Bob Ainsworth: Baseboards can be used in the Hercules C130JK and C130K. There are four sizes of baseboard in use, which are shown in the following table, together with the maximum load capacity.
	
		
			Baseboard capacity 
			  Baseboard size  Maximum load of capacity of each baseboard (kgs)  C130J Mk4  C130J Mk5  C130K Mk1  C130K Mk3 
			 48 x 48 inches 1,134 24 16   
			 52 x 43 inches 1,134   6 6 
			 52 x 86 inches 1,134   3 3 
			 96 x 48 inches 1,134 12 8

Air Force: Military Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 175W, on the air force: military aid, for what reasons the RAF's C-17 Globemasters are not capable of conducting humanitarian airdrop operations.

Bob Ainsworth: The RAF's C-17 Globemasters were acquired primarily as strategic transport aircraft. The airworthiness and safety cases have not therefore been constructed to support the tactical flying required to conduct airdrop sorties. The RAF's airdrop capability is provided by the Hercules C130 fleet.

Air Force: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours of training were required for those flying  (a) fast jets,  (b) transport aircraft and  (c) helicopters in the RAF in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 21 April 2008, (Official Report, column 1638W) about the number of hours training required for those flying fast jets, transport aircraft and helicopters in each year since 2003.
	Aircrew are monitored for competency levels throughout their flying career and training continues for Front Line aircrew after the initial award of Combat Ready status. Aircrew undertake regular flying practice and undergo periodic assessment by an appropriate examining body. The average hours of pilot training each year are shown in the table below.
	There has been no significant variation in these figures over the period in question. All figures in the table are approximate and are rounded to the nearest five.
	
		
			  Type of aircraft/helicopter  Average hours of pilot flying training allocated each year 
			 Fast Jets 210 
			 Transport aircraft 290 
			 Puma, Merlin and Chinook helicopters 240 
			 Sea King helicopters 90 
		
	
	The hours for Hawk training aircraft and contracted helicopters such as the Squirrel and Griffin have not been included.

Aircraft Carriers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the time which will elapse between  (a) completion of the construction of each Future Aircraft Carrier and formal handover to the Royal Navy and  (b) formal handover of each Future Aircraft Carrier to the Royal Navy and entry into service with the Fleet.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 20 May 2008
	The carriers will be accepted progressively throughout construction, with a period of some six months elapsing between completion of construction of each Future Aircraft Carrier and formal handover to the Royal Navy. The ships will be available to be deployed by the Fleet after they have successfully completed operational sea training and operational readiness inspection, which is assessed as requiring some four months.

Aircraft Carriers: Procurement

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the order for the future aircraft carriers has not been placed; and what conditions will have to be fulfilled before it will be placed.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 May 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement laid by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 15WS, indicating we have given our written assurance to industry of our intention to place the contract once the proposed shipbuilding joint venture company has formed.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many young people are members of cadet contingents attached to HM Forces in  (a) Northumberland,  (b) Tyne and Wear,  (c) County Durham and  (d) Cleveland.

Derek Twigg: There are cadet contingents which are affiliated to all of the four MOD sponsored cadet forces in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Cleveland. Cadet forces are not attached to HM Forces. The numbers of young people in the cadet forces in the respective counties are as follows:
	
		
			   Northumberland  County Durham  Tyne and Wear  Cleveland 
			 Combined Cadet Force 0 285 115 40 
			 Sea Cadet Corps 196 0 123 112 
			 Army Cadet Force 680 858 821 
			 Air Training Corps 1,098 260 
		
	
	Cadet forces are not all organised on current regional government lines; numbers above are broken down as closely as possible.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what resources will be made available to establish combined cadet forces in state schools.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD is working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to develop costed plans for increasing the number of cadet force units in state schools. It is too early to say how much this will be.
	The scale of these plans will be predicated on the willingness of schools to take part and the availability of sufficient suitable adult volunteers prepared to commit their time and energy to this worthwhile activity. We must also ensure that any further expansion is properly resourced so as not to dilute the value of the cadet experience to the 97,000 state school pupils that currently take part in the Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions  (a) he has had and  (b) he plans to have with the National Union of Teachers on the establishment of combined cadet forces in state schools.

Bob Ainsworth: Defence Ministers have not met, nor have any current plans to meet, with the National Union of Teachers to discuss establishing Combined Cadet Force units within State Schools.
	The Department is working closely with Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) on ways of improving awareness of, and access to, cadet activity for state school pupils. While the DCSF is supportive of activities that help children and young people understand the role of the armed forces it is for head teachers to determine whether to invite cadet forces into their schools.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which force elements reported  (a) no serious or critical and  (b) no critical weakness against (i) the ability to generate from peacetime readiness to immediate readiness for deployment on operations and (ii) required peacetime readiness levels in each year since 2004-05.

Bob Ainsworth: Information concerning readiness statistics against PSA targets is published in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts and quarterly performance reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. This information is broken down into land, maritime and air force elements. More detailed differentiation is not reported for reasons of national security.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the peacetime establishment was of  (a) 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery,  (b) 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and  (c) The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland before deployment to Iraq; what the strength on deployment of each unit is; how many reinforcements each received from (i) the regular Army, (ii) the Territorial Army and (iii) the regular Army Reserves; and how many of all ranks in each are remaining in the UK (A) on recruitment duties, (B) physically unfit to deploy and (C) in barracks in reserve.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 May 2008
	The peacetime establishment of the requested units as at 1 June 2008 is shown in the following table. As disclosure of exact numbers would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces, I have rounded numbers to the nearest 100.
	
		
			  Unit  Peacetime establishment prior to deployment 
			 3 RHA 500 
			 1 RRF 700 
			 4 SCOTS 700 
		
	
	I am unable to provide the remainder of the information requested until these units have completed their deployment to Iraq. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the peacetime establishment was of  (a) 7(th) Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery,  (b) The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2(nd) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and  (c) The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5(th) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland before deployment to Afghanistan; what the strength of each on deployment was; how many reinforcements were received by each from (i) the regular Army, (ii) the Territorial Army and (iii) the regular Army Reserves; and how many of all ranks of each are remaining in the UK (A) on recruitment duties, (B) physically unfit to deploy and (C) in barracks in reserve.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 May 2008
	The following table provides the information requested: however as disclosure of exact numbers would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces, I have rounded numbers to the nearest 100 or where less than 100 to the nearest 10, as appropriate.
	
		
			   7 PARA RHA  2 Scots  5 Scots 
			 Peace Establishment 500 600 700 
			 Deployed Strength 400 400 500 
			 TA reinforcements 10 10 50 
			 Reg Reserves Reinforcements 0 0 10 
			 Regular Army 100 0 50 
			 Unfit to deploy 40 70 60 
			 Recruitment duties 10 10 20 
			 Rear Party 70 30 60 
		
	
	7 Para RHA are heavily reinforced from other Regular Army units due to their current role in theatre. This is not unusual for specialist roles.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what headings are used to sub-categorise troops unfit to deploy; and how many troops from  (a) 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery,  (b) 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers,  (c) The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland,  (d) 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery,  (e) The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and  (f) The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland are classified under each of those headings.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 May 2008
	Soldiers who are unfit to deploy on operations are categorised as either non-available or non-effective. These are additionally sub-categorised as being either medical or G1 (personnel) reasons. Personnel who are classed as non-available for medical or personnel reasons may still be able to make a contribution to the Unit Rear Party. Personnel who are classed as non-effective are unfit for any task.
	The number of troops categorised as unfit to deploy in the requested units as at 1 March 2008 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Non-available  Non-effective  
			  Unit  Medical  G1  Medical  G1  Total unable to deploy 
			 3 RHA 13 40 4 0 57 
			 7 PARA RHA 10 29 1 0 40 
			 1 RRF 18 12 5 2 37 
			 4 SCOTS 15 21 0 0 36 
			 2 SCOTS 33 32 5 0 70 
			 5 SCOTS 9 49 3 0 61

Armed Forces: Deployment

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops from 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery have been sent to Afghanistan; and whether he plans to transfer these troops to Iraq to rejoin their regiment.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 May 2008
	I am withholding the exact number of troops from 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery deployed in Afghanistan as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces. There are currently no plans to transfer these troops to Iraq to rejoin their regiment. Once they have completed their commitments in Afghanistan, they will be reunited with the regiment on return to the UK.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from which battalions or regiments reinforcements have been taken to provide troops to  (a) 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery,  (b) 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers,  (c) The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland,  (d) 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery,  (e) The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and  (f) The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland; and how many reinforcements have been taken from each battalion or regiment.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 May 2008
	 The units and number of individuals which are providing reinforcements for the requested regiments and battalions are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Units providing reinforcements  Number provided 
			 3 Regt RHA 0 0 
			
			 1 RRF The Royal Regiment of Gibraltar 20 
			  5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 10 
			  4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment 10 
			
			 4 Scots 0 0 
			
			 7 Para RHA 5 Scots 10 
			  2 Scots 10 
			  3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment 10 
			  3 Regt RHA 100 
			  26th Regiment Royal Artillery 10 
			  1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment 10 
			  13th Regiment Royal Logistic Corps 10 
			  Armoured Division Signal Regt 10 
			  Australian Army 20 
			  Royal Air Force 20 
			
			 2 Scots Various TA units 10 
			
			 5 Scots 0 0 
		
	
	As disclosure of exact numbers would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces, I have rounded numbers to the nearest 100, or where less than 100 to the nearest 10.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1702W, on armed forces deployment, how the figures for the  (a) army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy and Royal Marines break down between regular and reserve personnel.

Bob Ainsworth: In very broad terms, using the methodology applied in my previous answer on 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1702W, approximately 11 per cent. of the Regular Army is preparing for operations and the same proportion has recently returned from operations. For the Territorial Army the equivalent proportion is approximately 2.5 per cent. in each case. For the RAF, the proportion of reservists contained within the overall numbers about to deploy and recently returned from operations fluctuates considerably, and it would not be possible to produce a representative snapshot. As I made clear in my previous answer, data for the Royal Navy could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Discrimination

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instances of  (a) discrimination and  (b) criminal action against persons in military and naval uniform in a public place have been recorded by his Department in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Instances of discrimination are not held centrally, and details of criminal action against persons in military uniform are not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Food

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of administering the Pay As You Dine scheme was in 2007-08.

Derek Twigg: The cost of administering the Pay As You Dine scheme is not readily available as it is embedded within MOD's multi-activity contracts and PFI projects. As such the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Food

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the effects of the Pay As You Dine scheme on nutrition of young soldiers; and what steps he is taking to ensure that young soldiers reliant on the Pay As You Dine scheme consume an adequate diet;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of whether the Pay As You Dine scheme has promoted healthy eating;
	(3)  what customer satisfaction surveys of the Pay As You Dine scheme have been undertaken; and if he will publish the results of the surveys.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member.

Armed Forces: Food

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of food provision in the armed forces was in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Gross expenditure on food purchase and services across the MOD for which figures are available are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Gross expenditure ( million) 
			 1997-98 190 
			 1998-99 195 
			 1999-2000 195 
			 2000-01 194 
			 2001-02 205 
			 2002-03 232 
			 2003-04 271 
			 2004-05 235 
			 2005-06 243 
			 2006-07 (1)274 
			 (1) This figure excludes expenditure on food supplied and paid for through Pay As You Dine (PAYD) contracts which commenced April 2006.

Armed Forces: Industrial Health and Safety

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment for the protection of hearing is provided to armed forces personnel in theatre.

Bob Ainsworth: As part of the general equipment allocation, all Army personnel and Royal Marines are issued with a muff type ear protector which can be supplemented by disposable earplugs. These are also issued to RAF and RN personnel when their job requires them. In addition, specialist ear protection is provided for personnel when their role requires additional protection.
	All service personnel arriving in theatre are provided with a re-usable double-ended earplug which provides protection against weapon firing or against continuous background noise. Hearing protection is also incorporated into most communication systems used by vehicles crews.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current  (a) required and  (b) actual strength of each service is, broken down by rank.

Bob Ainsworth: The latest available figures for  (a) full-time trained armed forces requirements and  (b) full time trained armed forces strengths are presented as follows:
	
		
			  Naval service full- time trained strengths and requirements( 1)  by NATO rank 
			  Naval service  Paid rank  Requirement as at 1 March 2008  Strength as at 1 March 2008( 2) 
			 Officers(3) OF9 * (4) 
			  OF8 10 (4)10 
			  OF7 30 (4)30 
			  OF6 60 (4)80 
			  OF5 270 (4)290 
			  OF4 1,140 (4)1,110 
			  OF3 2,180 (4)2,380 
			  OF2 2,900 (4)2,660 
			  OF1/OF(D) 70 (4)70 
			 
			 Other ranks OR9 860 (4)830 
			  OR8 900 (4)810 
			  OR7 4,120 (4)4,370 
			  OR6 5,210 (4)4,760 
			  OR4 6,820 (4)6,310 
			  OR3(5) * (4)620 
			  OR2 11,770 (4)10,680 
			 Total full time trained strength and requirement  36,360 (4)35,000 
			 * = Zero or rounded to zero. (1) The full time trained strength and the trained requirement both comprise trained UK regular forces, trained Gurkhas, FTRS (full time reserve service) personnel and nursing services. They do not include the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment or mobilised reservists. (2) FTRS strength figures include full commitment (FC), home commitment (HC) and limited commitment (LC) individuals. For the Army, FC and LC individuals serve against the requirement while HC individuals fill posts specifically for FTRS personnel. For the RAF, FC individuals serve against the requirement while HC and LC individuals fill posts specifically for FTRS personnel. All Navy FTRS individuals serve against the requirement. (3) No services have personnel at NATO Rank OF-10. (4) Provisional. (5) The naval service has no personnel at substantive rank OR-3 and no requirement at this rank. Marines with a substantive rank of OR-2 but acting as Corporal are recorded as paid rank OR-3, which aligns with the recognised rank of Lance Corporal in the Army.  Notes: 1. The requirement and strength figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and figures ending in five have been rounded to 20 to prevent bias, therefore totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. 2. Due to ongoing validation of data from the new Personnel Administration System, Army statistics from 1 April 2007 are provisional. All naval service and RAF statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. 
		
	
	
		
			  Army full- time trained strengths and requirements( 1)  by NATO rank 
			  Army  Paid rank  Requirement as at 1 March 2008  Strength as at 1 March 2008( 2) 
			 Officers(3) OF9 * (4)10 
			  OF8 20 (4)20 
			  OF7 40 (4)40 
			  OF6 170 (4)180 
			  OF5 550 (4)590 
			  OF4 1,710 (4)1,790 
			  OF3 4,280 (4)4,950 
			  OF2 4,840 (4)4,920 
			  OF1 1,880 (4)1,720 
			 
			 Other ranks OR9 1,420 (4)1,730 
			  OR8 4,280 (4)4,800 
			  OR7 5,830 (4)6,200 
			  OR6 10,540 (4)10,490 
			  OR4 16,720 (4)15,770 
			  OR3 18,280 (4)16,980 
			  OR1/OR2 31,280 (4)27,970 
			 Total full time trained strength and requirement  101,800 (4)98,170 
			 * = Zero or rounded to zero. (1) The full time trained strength and the trained requirement both comprise trained UK regular forces, trained Gurkhas, FTRS (full time reserve service) personnel and nursing services. They do not include the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment or mobilised reservists. (2) FTRS strength figures include full commitment (FC), home commitment (HC) and limited commitment (LC) individuals. For the Army, FC and LC individuals serve against the requirement while HC individuals fill posts specifically for FTRS personnel. For the RAF, FC individuals serve against the requirement while HC and LC individuals fill posts specifically for FTRS personnel. All Navy FTRS individuals serve against the requirement. (3) No services have personnel at NATO Rank OF-10. (4) Provisional.  Notes: 1. The requirement and strength figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and figures ending in five have been rounded to 20 to prevent bias, therefore totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. 2. Due to ongoing validation of data from the new Personnel Administration System, Army statistics from 1 April 2007 are provisional. All naval service and RAF statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review. 
		
	
	
		
			  RAF full- time trained Strengths and Requirements( 1)  by NATO Rank 
			  RAF  Paid rank  Requirement as at 1 April 2008( 2,3)  Strength as at 1 March 2008( 4) 
			 Officers(5) OF6-OF9 (6)100 (6)130 
			  OF5 (6)250 (6)310 
			  OF4 (6)1,180 (6)1,240 
			  OF3 (6)2,500 (6)2,660 
			  OF1-OF2 (6)4,880 (6)4,460 
			 Total officers  (6)8,920 (6)8,800 
			 
			 Other ranks(7) OR9 (6)1,070 (6)1,150 
			  OR7 (6)3,230 (6)3,350 
			  OR6 (6)6,920 (6)6,570 
			  OR4 (6)8,790 (6)8,740 
			  OR1/OR2 (6)12,270 (6)12,140 
			 Total other ranks  (6)32,290 (6)31,950 
			 
			 Total full time trained strength and requirement  (6)41,210 (6)40,750 
			 (1) The full time trained strength and the trained requirement both comprise trained UK regular forces, trained Gurkhas, FTRS (full time reserve service) personnel and nursing services. They do not include the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment or mobilised reservists. (2) There is no Royal Air Force stated requirement for 1 March 2008 therefore the 1 April 2008 requirement has been provided. (3) For the RAF, including the FTRS, there is no agreed breakdown by rank for the 1 April 2008 regular requirement. Requirement by rank has been derived by calculating the proportion of total strength for each rank and applying these proportions to the total requirement. FTRS requirement is 180 officers and 220 other ranks, and has been included on the same basis. (4) FTRS strength figures include full commitment (FC), home commitment (HC) and limited commitment (LC) individuals. For the Army, FC and LC individuals serve against the requirement while HC individuals fill posts specifically for FTRS personnel. For the RAF, FC individuals serve against the requirement while HC and LC individuals fill posts specifically for FTRS personnel. All Navy FTRS individuals serve against the requirement. (5) The Royal Air Force does not produce a rank breakdown of requirement for OF-6 to OF-9. (6) Provisional. (7) The Royal Air Force has no personnel at NATO ranks OR-3 or OR-8.  Notes: 1. The requirement and strength figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 and figures ending in five have been rounded to 20 to prevent bias, therefore totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. 2. Due to ongoing validation of data from the new Personnel Administration System, Army statistics from 1 April 2007 are provisional. All naval service and RAF statistics from 1 May 2007 are provisional and subject to review.

Armed Forces: Military Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the  (a) Royal Air Force and  (b) Army have trained for conducting humanitarian airdrop operations in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: None. Should a request be made for a humanitarian airdrop, appropriate training will be given as necessary.

Armed Forces: Military Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008,  Official Report, column 7W, on Air Force: military aid, how baseboards are  (a) replaced and  (b) recovered after use in humanitarian airdrop operations.

Bob Ainsworth: Baseboards are replaced as they are used and are not routinely recovered.

Armed Forces: Monuments

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will visit the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield to discuss issues arising from increased visitor numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Ministers have visited the National Memorial Arboretum a number of times over recent months and both they and officials have discussed and corresponded with trustees and the Royal British Legion on issues arising out of the increase in numbers of visitors following the dedication of the Armed Forces Memorial in October of last year. Officials are due to meet representatives of the trusts involved and the Royal British Legion on 29 May to discuss the issues raised by this increase.

Armed Forces: Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel were entitled to the Long Service Advance of Pay in each year since 2003; and what estimate he has made of the number of entitlements in the next three years.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Pay

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much was paid via Long Service Advance of Pay scheme in each year since its inception;
	(2)  how many service personnel took up the Long Service Advance of Pay in each year since its inception;
	(3)  what the annual cost of the Long Service Advance of Pay scheme was in each year since its inception.

Derek Twigg: The date of inception of Long Service Advance of Pay (LSAP) was 1965 for the Royal Navy, and 1996 for the Army and RAF. Information for the period 1965 to financial year 2000-01 could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. The amount paid since financial year 2000-01 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Value ( million) 
			 2001-02 20.35 
			 2002-03 20.39 
			 2003-04 16.23 
			 2004-05 14.76 
			 2005-06 16.39 
			 2006-07 24.66 
			 2007-08 19.90 
		
	
	The number of service personnel who took up LSAP in each year since financial year 2001-02 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of service personnel 
			 2001-02 2,670 
			 2002-03 2,645 
			 2003-04 2,072 
			 2004-05 1,906 
			 2005-06 2,096 
			 2006-07 3,140 
			 2007-08 2,472 
		
	
	Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs treat LSAP as a benefit in kind liability for national insurance contributions. The Ministry of Defence has therefore made an average annual payment of 300,000 in each of the last six financial years to satisfy this requirement. A more detailed breakdown could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Pay

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much local overseas allowance service personnel received to travel back from  (a) Germany and  (b) Cyprus in each year since 2000.

Bob Ainsworth: Local overseas allowance is not payable for the purpose of Service personnel travelling back to the UK from Germany, Cyprus and other overseas locations.

Armed Forces: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 15-18WS, on helicopters on operations, 
	(1)  what the budget for the Helicopter Fund is in 2008-09; and what percentage of that budget will be met by the UK;
	(2)  how much the UK contributed to the seed fund for the helicopter support initiative.

Des Browne: The UK has made a one off contribution of 5.75 million to this fund. We continue to seek additional contributions and have not yet considered applications for programmes to be resourced from the fund.

Armed Forces: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 15-18WS, on helicopters on operations, whether  (a) NATO or  (b) the EU is responsible for the Helicopter Fund.

Des Browne: The Helicopter Fund is currently facilitated by NATO (SHAPE) but neither NATO nor the EU is responsible for the fund. Contributing nations will decide how resources are allocated.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1519W, on armed forces: training, how many of the eight Fighting in Built-up Areas facilities have been specifically designed to replicate Afghan villages.

Bob Ainsworth: Copehill Down, Wiltshire was extended in 2005 to simulate an Iraqi urban area for units to train prior to deployment in the Middle East.
	However, there are, at present, no equivalent facilities on the defence estate specifically designed to replicate Afghan villages. Plans exist for Middle East style compounds/hamlets to be constructed in the future, but no timeframes are as yet available.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's vehicle capitation rates.

Bob Ainsworth: No. Placing the vehicle capitation rates in the Library of the House would prejudice the Department's commercial interests.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he received from the French government in support of Nexter's bid to supply the Future Rapid Effect System utility vehicle requirement; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Ministers and officials often exchange correspondence and discuss defence issues with their French counterparts. The French Government have supported Nexter's bid for the Utility Vehicle design of the Future Rapid Effect System, both in writing and during discussions.

Army: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1307W, on Army deployment, what the  (a) mean,  (b) mode and  (c) median interval is between tours of duty for Army units.

Bob Ainsworth: Tour intervals are calculated for units within the Infantry, Royal Armoured Corps and Royal Artillery. In relation to the last tour intervals for these units the mean interval is 25 months. The mode and median figure for these units is 23 months.

Bombs

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on possible outcomes of the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on cluster munitions.

Bob Ainsworth: I discussed the outcome of the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on cluster munitions with Bob Gates on 1 June 2008.

Cyprus: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy personnel are based in Cyprus as (i) part of Operation Tosca and (ii) outside Operation Tosca; and what their respective missions are.

Bob Ainsworth: Currently, there are some 250 British Army personnel based in Cyprus as part of Operation Tosca. There are no Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel deployed in support of that operation. The mission of the armed forces personnel assigned to Op Tosca is to contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) mandate, which is to prevent a recurrence of fighting, maintain a stable environment and de-escalate the military presence along the buffer zone in order to enable a just and lasting political solution.
	Excluding Op Tosca, as of 28 May 2008, there are some 1,880 Army, 40 Royal Navy and 1,160 Royal Air Force personnel based in Cyprus. These personnel contribute to the mission of British Forces Cyprus which involves: the maintenance of the sovereign base areas and retained sites for their effective use as military bases; the provision of security and protection for key facilities, British Forces Cyprus and sovereign base area administration personnel, their dependants and other designated personnel; the operation, sustainment and development of the forward mounting base; and the provision of other operational capabilities in support of wider UK operations.

Cyprus: Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force aircraft are permanently based in Cyprus.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no Royal Air Force aircraft permanently based in Cyprus. However, there is a complement of three contractor owned, Government operated (COGO) helicopters based with UK forces in Cyprus. These helicopters are owned and maintained by the contractor but operated by the RAF and painted with an RAF colour scheme. The aircraft is the Griffin HAR2 and its main role is search and rescue.

Defence: Internet

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of his Department will work at the newly-established Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Estonia.

Bob Ainsworth: The Chief of Defence Staff advised the Estonian Defence Minister last year that the United Kingdom is fully supportive of the Estonian Cyber Defence initiative and their endeavours in this important area. However, given the need to co-ordinate Cyber Defence with a number of other Government Departments and allies, our preferred means of support is via virtual participation, rather than attach personnel permanently to Estonia. The United Kingdom is not a founding signatory nation to the NATO Centre of Excellence but our position will be kept under review.

Defence: Procurement

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what review of the defence procurement programme is in progress; and when he expects announcements to be made about the next stage in the procurement of  (a) future Lynx,  (b) the future carrier programme,  (c) the Astute programme,  (d) JSF,  (e) FRES,  (f) Type 45,  (g) A400M and  (h) Nimrod MRA4.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 6 May 2008
	We are undertaking an examination of our planning assumptions for equipment over the next 10 years, with a view to bearing down on cost increases to equipment programmes and shifting the overall balance of defence procurement to the support of operations. This will provide an important input to our next planning round.
	We announced on 8 May 2008 that we have provisionally selected the Piranha 5 as the preferred design for the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) utility vehicle. We announced on 20 May 2008 that the MOD is ready to go ahead with the contract signature for the future aircraft carriers. Any further announcements on individual projects will be made when appropriate.

Defence: Procurement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected financial costs are for each service of each equipment procurement project expected to come on stream in each year from 2010 to 2015; what the individual payment terms of each project are; and from which budget the funding for each will be derived.

Bob Ainsworth: The detailed financial data for the Department's equipment projects forms part of the internal advice to Ministers on the overall affordability of the Defence programme and contains information which is commercially sensitive. I am therefore withholding this information as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice commercial interests. Financial data relating to some of these projects, however, can be found within the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2007 Project Summary Sheets, (HC 98-11 Session 2007-08 dated 30 November 2007), as published by the Stationery Office and available on the NAO website at:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/070898ii.pdf

Departmental Accountancy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will produce shadow international financial reporting standards accounts for the current financial year.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD plans to produce shadow international financial reporting standards accounts for 2008-09 in accordance with HM Treasury direction.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what, in near cash terms, his Department's annual spectrum charge is for financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD currently pays approximately 50 million per year for its spectrum use.
	In line with Government policy and resource accounting principles, the level of future fees will be dependent upon the level of the MOD's spectrum use at that time. The MOD will consult shortly on the management and marketing of the UK Defence spectrum.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list his Department's category A projects that are subject to variation of price clauses.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Financial Coherence Review 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what, in near cash terms, are his Department's planning round 2008 Top Level Budget  (a) resource and  (b) capital allocations are for financial years (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Des Browne: The Department's planned budgetary allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11, disaggregated by top level budget, will be published in the MOD's Departmental Plan in June 2008.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's category  (a) A,  (b) B and  (c) C projects are for the 2008-09 financial year.

Bob Ainsworth: The timing of MOD investment decisions depends on the maturity of the project. It is not therefore possible to provide a list of projects for the 2008-09 financial year.
	Investment decisions for projects are taken as soon as the necessary work is complete.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement of 12 November 2007,  Official Report, column 500, that his Department and the Treasury would share the costs of urgent operational requirements above a mutually agreed total, what the mutually agreed total for the 2008-09 financial year is.

Derek Twigg: The mutually agreed estimated spend for urgent operational requirements, for 2008-09, is 900 million.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Secretary of State for Defence in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception.

Derek Twigg: We intend to publish an annual list, ahead of the summer recess, providing information relating to official receptions hosted by Ministers in the Department during the course of the previous financial year.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to  (a) all staff and  (b) staff at senior civil service level in (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in the 2007-08 financial year; and how many payments were made.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 517W.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the anticipated operating and non-operating appropriations in aid are for each year of the comprehensive spending review; and whether they were included in the near cash resource and capital departmental expenditure limits given in his answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1893W, on Departments: public expenditure.

Bob Ainsworth: Anticipated operating and non-operating appropriations in aid are published in Departmental Estimates. Operating and non-operating appropriations in aid were included in the 2006-07 outturn figures quoted in my answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1893W.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Gerald Howarth:
	Thank you for your letter of 27 March following my response to your Parliamentary Question on 5 March 2008 (Official Report, col 2557-8W) about departmental expenditure. I apologise for the delay in replying.
	In your original question you referred to my answer of 10 September (Official Report Column 1893W). I answered two questions from you on departmental expenditure on that day and regrettably the wrong Hansard reference was referred to in my reply.
	In answer to your question, the estimated Appropriations-in-Aid for the CSR years are as follows:
	
		
			   million 
			   Operating  Non operating 
			 2008-09 1,243 300 
			 2009-10 1,277 200 
			 2010-11 1,312 283 
		
	
	These anticipated receipts were taken in account when setting our near cash and capital departmental expenditure limits given in my answer of 10(th) September. It should be noted that these are estimates and are subject to a number of changeable factors (e.g. property prices and levels of assets disposals). I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
	I apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.

Departmental Publications

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Defence Analytical Services Agency report, Evaluating the Move from Input to Output Price Indices in Price Escalation clauses-Final Report.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes.

Departmental Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether  (a) UK citizens born in the UK,  (b) UK citizens born abroad and  (c) foreign nationals recruited into his Department and its agencies are subject to (i) UK and (ii) overseas criminal record checks; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: All recruits to the Ministry of Defence, whether service or civilian, are subject to checks to ensure their reliability and suitability for the post in question. In addition, certain posts are restricted to UK citizens. For the majority of posts in the MOD and the armed forces, national security vetting is required. This includes a full criminal record check of both spent and unspent convictions on the police national computer in accordance with the then Prime Minister's statement on vetting on 15 December 1994,  Official Report, columns 764-66W.
	Where it is judged that national security vetting is unnecessary and the level of risk is acceptable, the Baseline Personnel Security Standard is applied. This requires recruits to declare unspent convictions against which random checks are carried out. When individuals will be working with children or vulnerable adults, any such checks are supplemented by checks with the Criminal Records Bureau.
	These regulations apply to all UK citizens resident in this country, regardless of their place of birth. The same applies to foreign citizens who are eligible to apply for civil service and armed forces posts.
	Work to improve access to overseas criminal conviction data is being taken forward by the Home Office and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Meg Hillier) to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley) of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 824-25W.

Dounreay

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the naval reactor test establishment at Dounreay will be decommissioned; and what plans his Department has for the subsequent use of the facility.

Bob Ainsworth: No final decisions have yet been made, but current plans assume the de-commissioning of the naval reactor test establishment would begin after 2022 and will take several years to complete. An option for bringing this forward is being investigated. No decisions have been made as yet regarding the future use of the facility.

EU Battlegroup

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cost to his Department was of certifying the UK EU Battlegroup for July to December 2008;
	(2)  what the expected cost to his Department is of providing the UK's commitment to the EU Battlegroup in July to December 2008.

Des Browne: The UK commitment to the EU Battlegroup roster for July to December 2008 will be met by forces from the Small Scale Focused Intervention Battlegroup (SSFIBG) element of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF). As this is a national high readiness contingency which is already on standby during the relevant period, there is no additional cost to the UK of providing an EU Battlegroup on standby.
	There would be additional costs to the UK were the Battlegroup to deploy. However, an EU Battlegroup is a standby commitment intended for emerging contingencies and it is impossible to predict at the current time whether or not it will be deployed during its standby period. The cost to the UK of deploying an EU Battlegroup would depend on the nature and length of any deployment.
	The UK Battlegroup is certified nationally to standards which incorporate and exceed the Standards and Criteria for EU Battlegroups. Other enablers taken from the JRRF also meet these standards. The only cost of certification therefore are the negligible administrative costs associated with the formal notification to the EU that the UK contribution is of sufficient standard, and the administration costs associated with hosting the EU Battlegroup observers day to Exercise Druid's Dance on 12 May. Hosting the observers' day is not a requirement of EU Battlegroup certification but is encouraged in the EU Battlegroup concept to help share best practice amongst EU member states.

Ex-servicemen: Identity Cards

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the  (a) initial and  (b) annual cost of issuing a Veterans ID Card analogous to the current Service ID Card.

Derek Twigg: In recent years, exploratory work has been undertaken both by the Department and commercial organisations to investigate the potential benefits of a Veterans ID card; this has included a range of options covering a number of potential functions. No precise costings have been undertaken and these would depend on the function chosen and assumptions about uptake. Costs will be reassessed and updated as part of the work to decide how, precisely, to take forward the recommendation for a Veterans ID card in the National Recognition Study undertaken by my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies).

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft: Procurement

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1525W, on Future Strategic Tanker aircraft: procurement, whether personnel involved in Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft procurement will be transferred to future procurement programmes.

Bob Ainsworth: Staff from the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft Integrated Project Team will be transferred to other programmes as required by the Ministry of Defence to best utilise the knowledge and skills they have gained, and to meet the career aspirations of individuals.

Iraq: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of the second tranche of Mastiffs have been deployed to  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: No. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 April 2008,  Official Report, column 792W.

Iraq: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role is planned for Mastiff armoured vehicles once large scale operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been concluded.

Bob Ainsworth: The requirement for Mastiff patrol vehicles on current operations is likely to continue. We will review the future requirement for Mastiff, and other vehicles of this type, once operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been completed.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many indirect fire attacks have been made against Basra Air Station in each month since October 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of indirect fire attacks against the Contingency Operating Base in Basra in each month since October 2007 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Month  Attack 
			  2007  
			 October 9 
			 November 11 
			 December 12 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 24 
			 February 13 
			 March 27 
			 April 4 
			 May 1 
		
	
	The figures for 2008 include attacks up to 22 May 2008. More than one rocket may have been fired in any individual attack.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) gallantry and meritorious service medals of each type and  (b) campaign medals have been awarded to members of the Territorial Army in respect of their service in Iraq and Afghanistan; and how many members of the Territorial Army have received campaign medals for service in both countries.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of gallantry and meritorious medals of each type awarded to members of the Territorial Army is given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Gallantry award  Iraq  Afghanistan 
			 Military Cross 2 1 
			 Queen's Gallantry Medal 1 0 
			 Queen's Commendation for Bravery 1 0 
			 Mention in Despatches 6 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Meritorious service  Iraq  Afghanistan 
			 Member of the Order of the British Empire 4 1 
			 Officer of the Order of the British Empire 0 1 
			 Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service 15 1 
			 Royal Red Cross 1(st) Class 1 0 
		
	
	The total number of campaign medals issued to both regular and reserve personnel for service in Iraq and Afghanistan as at 23 May 2008 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Iraq 114,467 
			 Afghanistan 52,222 
		
	
	Information on the number of campaign medals issued to members of the Territorial Army alone, and on personnel who have been awarded campaign medals for both theatres, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much it costs frontline troops in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq to top-up telephone time by (i) 20, (ii) 30, (iii) 45 and (iv) 90 minutes during on-peak periods; and what hours constitute (A) on-peak and (B) off-peak talk time for armed forces personnel in (1) Afghanistan and (2) Iraq.

Bob Ainsworth: Service personnel deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq are entitled to 30 minutes of free telephone time per week. It is not possible to provide a specific figure in terms of top-up costs as this varies considerably dependent on which country and which telecommunications provider within a country is being called. In all, there are 381 different call cost rates for some 140 countries advertised in telephone cabins etc. in the Afghanistan and Iraq theatres of which 21 rates apply to the UK. These are broken down between British Telecom rates and the various mobile network providers. However, if a call to a British Telecom line is used as an example, the charge is 11p per minute to make a call from a telephone cabin satellite phone. It will therefore cost 2.20 for 20 minutes of call time; 3.30 for 30 minutes of call time; 4.95 for 45 minutes of call time; and 9.90 for 90 minutes of call time. Personnel calling from an Iridium satellite telephone will pay 17.80 for 20 minutes; 26.70 for 30 minutes; 40.08 for 45 minutes; and 80.10 for 90 minutes. Personnel calling from an INMARSAT system will pay 23.40 for 20 minutes; 35.10 for 30 minutes; 52.65 for 45 minutes; and 105.30 for 90 minutes. Iridium and INMARSAT charges are set by 3rd party satellite services providers and not by the MOD communications contractor. Steps are being taken to migrate welfare users off these tariffs and on to a rate comparable to a telephone cabin. There are no peak rate times for personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan as all calls are charged as listed regardless of the time of day.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the costs of the UK military presence in Iraq were in each year since 2003.

Des Browne: The costs of operations are calculated on a net additional basis and audited figures are published each year in the MOD's annual report and accounts. The total annual costs of operations in Iraq for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07 were as follows:
	
		
			million 
			  2002-03  
			 Operations in Iraq 629 
			 Expenditure on Capital equipment 218 
			 Total 847 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Operations in Iraq 1,051 
			 Expenditure on Capital equipment 260 
			 Total 1,311 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Operations in Iraq 747 
			 Expenditure on Capital equipment 163 
			 Total 910 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Operations in Iraq 798 
			 Expenditure on Capital equipment 160 
			 Total 958 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Operations in Iraq 787 
			 Expenditure on Capital equipment 169 
			 Total 956 
		
	
	An estimated cost of 1,648 million for 2007-08 was included in the spring supplementary estimates published in February. Final costs for the year, following an audit by the National Audit Office, will be published in the MOD's annual report and accounts in July.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1311-13W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, whether the Answer  (a) is based solely on the headquarters element of each battalion listed and  (b) includes the deployment of subordinate units down to the (i) company and (ii) platoon from each battalion listed.

Des Browne: The information provided assumed that a unit deployment consisted of a regimental headquarters and more than two sub units (i.e. a company, or equivalent) deploying for four months or more. This is consistent with the methodology applied to the measurement of operational tour intervals.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons caches found in Basra Province since 1 January 2007 contained munitions originating from Iran.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held in the format requested. However, there is good reason to believe that a significant proportion of the equipment and armaments being used by insurgents against UK forces in Basra Province is of Iranian origin or has been transited through Iran.

Kosovo: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1804W, on Kosovo: peacekeeping operations, if he will place in the Library a copy of the technical agreement papers.

Bob Ainsworth: No. I am withholding the papers as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of fitting explosion suppressant foam to one  (a) C-130K and  (b) C-130J Hercules is.

Bob Ainsworth: The average cost of fitting explosion suppressant foam to one Hercules C-130K aircraft is approximately 600,000 and to one Hercules C-130J aircraft is approximately 350,000.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's aircraft capitation rates.

Bob Ainsworth: No. Placing the aircraft capitation rates in the Library of the House would prejudice the Department's commercial interests.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral statement by the Prime Minister of 12 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 303-5, on Afghanistan, how many Sea King helicopters have been deployed to Afghanistan since December 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: An additional four Sea King helicopters have been deployed to Afghanistan since the Prime Minister's oral statement of 12 December 2007.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint United Kingdom-France memorandum distributed among the EU Political and Security Committee in early May 2008 on the critical shortfalls in capability which constrain the deployment of European helicopters on military operations.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK and French ambassadors to the EU Political and Security Committee sent a joint letter to the committee on 25 April explaining the proposed UK French helicopter initiative. I shall place a copy in the Library of the House.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions members of his Department had with their European counterparts on the joint UK-France initiative to improve European helicopter capability for military operations at the 15 May 2008 European Defence Agency seminar.

Des Browne: 21 member states attended the European Defence Agency (EDA) seminar on 15 May 2008. The seminar took the form of two syndicate workshops covering helicopter crew training and helicopter upgrades.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Joint UK-France Summit Declaration of 27 March, if he will make a statement on the joint UK-France initiative to improve European helicopter capability for military operations.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made following the NATO Bucharest summit on 24 April 2008,  Official Report, column 112WS, and to my written ministerial statement on Helicopters on Operations on 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 16WS.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Chinook,  (b) Merlin,  (c) Puma and  (d) Sea Kings are in the helicopter fleet; how many are available for use; and how many pilots serving with the armed forces are qualified to pilot each type of helicopter.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Helicopter Type  Departmental total (total fleet)  Number available (forward fleet)  Number current and qualified pilots 
			 Chinook 48 29 109 
			 Merlin 70 41 108 
			 Puma 45 34 95 
			 Sea King 135 69 223 
		
	
	For the purposes of MOD reporting, the definition used for the number of helicopters available for use is the number in the Forward Fleet. This figure excludes any aircraft undergoing programmed upgrades, major repair or awaiting disposal. The data provided on the number of qualified pilots, represent the number of pilots in flying roles who are both qualified and current to fly each type. Information on the number of current and qualified pilots who are occupying non-flying roles is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Data for total and forward fleets are as at 1 May 2008.

Military Bands

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many official engagements have been undertaken by  (a) military and  (b) naval bands since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of official engagements for Regular Army bands has been recorded centrally from 2004 onwards and is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of engagements 
			 2004 3,848 
			 2005 3,688 
			 2006 (1)2,653 
			 2007 4,980 
			 2008 (2)5,200 
			 (1 )Incomplete data.  (2 )Forecast of planned engagements for the current year. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide details of how many official engagements have been undertaken by Territorial Army bands as there are no centralised records held.
	On average, the Royal Marine Band Service has performed 1,300 official engagements annually since 1997.

Military Bands: Expenditure

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much was spent on  (a) military and  (b) naval bands in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many engagements involving the recovery of costs have been undertaken by  (a) military and  (b) naval bands since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Officials are currently collating the information requested. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.

Military Bands: Manpower

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) military and  (b) naval (i) bandsmen and (ii) bandswomen there were in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The number of trained Regular Army musicians serving each year since 1997, broken down by gender is shown as follows:
	
		
			   Male  Female 
			 1997 1,030 20 
			 1998 1,000 40 
			 1999 960 50 
			 2000 950 60 
			 2001 930 60 
			 2002 920 70 
			 2003 910 80 
			 2004 900 90 
			 2005 850 90 
			 2006 790 90 
			 2007 730 90 
			 2008 700 110 
		
	
	Since 1996, the Royal Marines Band Service (RMBS) has had a requirement for 356 trained musicians and buglers, comprising 12 officers and 344 other ranks. The actual strength by gender as at 22 May 2008 is 259 males and 70 females. A breakdown of actual strength by year is not available.

Military Bases: Cash Dispensing

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with automated teller machine (ATM) operators on removing ATMs which charge for cash withdrawals from UK military bases.

Derek Twigg: Automated teller machines (ATMs) are installed on military establishments via a variety of means and as such this is not a matter which is managed centrally in the Ministry of Defence (MOD). ATMs are incorporated within multi-activity contracts, through independent agreement made locally by individual Commanding Officers, or provided as part of retail and leisure run facilities. Subject to the terms of any associated lease or licence, Commanding Officers are free to enter discussions with ATM providers and seek the removal of fee paying ATMs at any time. Where ATMs are provided under contract, removal would, of course, have to be in line with the terms of the contract.
	I understand that one of the leading ATM providers on the MOD estate, Forces Financial, is in the process of replacing its fee paying ATMs with free to use machines. It is anticipated that this replacement programme will be complete by mid 2009.

Military Equipment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the scope is of his Department's examination of the equipment programme; when it will report; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We are undertaking an examination of our planning assumptions for equipment over the next 10 years, with a view to bearing down on cost increases to equipment programmes and shifting the overall balance of defence procurement to the support of operations.
	We hope to complete the examination in the summer, and it will provide an important input to our next planning round.

Military Equipment

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planning assumption of the average unit cost of  (a) procurement and  (b) through life support for a Joint Strike Fighter is; what changes there have been to these assumptions since April 2002; how many Piranha 5 Future Rapid Effect System utility vehicles are planned to be procured; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Unit production costs for joint strike fighter are dependent on the number and timing of aircraft purchases for all partner nations and the delivery profile. The UK's total procurement cost is likely to be up to 10 billion, depending on the number of aircraft required. Through life support for joint combat aircraft will also be shaped by the number and timing of aircraft deliveries and will be announced when the programme is sufficiently mature. We are continuously defining our requirement before seeking approval to procure aircraft.
	The number of Piranha 5 Future Rapid Effect System utility vehicles to be procured will be set at the time the main investment decision is taken.

Military Equipment: Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what, in near cash terms, the  (a) resource and  (b) capital planned spend on each of his Department's 20 largest equipment projects is for financial years 2008-09 to 2017-18.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the Department's planned spend across the acquisition timescale for the 20 largest projects, post major decision point measured by value based on future forecast procurement expenditure, and 10 largest projects, pre major decision point, can be found within the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2007 Project Summary Sheets, (HC 98-11 Session 2007-08 dated 30 November 2007), as published by the Stationery Office and available on the NAO website at:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/070898ii.pdf
	The detailed financial data form part of the internal advice to Ministers on the overall affordability of the Defence programme and contain information which is commercially sensitive. I am therefore withholding this information as its release would, or would be likely to prejudice commercial interests.

Military Equipment: Prices

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the variation of prices index used in the  (a) A400M and  (b) BVRAAM contracts.

Bob Ainsworth: The A400M and BVRAAM programmes do not use fixed variation of price indices.
	The A400M programme uses an output index in the form of the Eurozone gross domestic product (GDP) deflator, as published monthly by the Statistical Office of the European Union (otherwise known as EUROSTAT). The Eurozone GDP deflator then in force is applied to each invoice at the time it is presented.
	The BVRAAM programme uses a number of indices based on national price inflation series, as published by the governments of the partner nations. The UK index is based on the producer price index (MM2), published monthly by the Office for National Statistics. The indices applied are those in force either one month before the programme milestone point to which an invoice applies, or at a contractually defined date, depending on the category of deliverable item to which the invoice applies.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when  (a) officials,  (b) Ministers and  (c) members of the inquiry team of the National Recognition of our Armed Forces study met the British Association of Chambers of Commerce to discuss links between service units and commanders and associations of chambers of commerce in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: The independent Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces invited a number of contributions from a broad spectrum across the military, Parliament and other relevant areas of society including business leaders. I understand that the study team did not consult directly with the British Association of Chambers of Commerce but did meet with representatives from the Confederation of British Industry. A complete list of those who contributed is at Appendix 2 to the report, a copy of which can be found on the MOD website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/PersonnelPublications/DutyofCare/NationalRecognitionOfOurArmedForces.htm.
	Defence Ministers and officials may, over the past 12 months, have had discussions with the British Association of Chambers of Commerce on links with the armed forces, but any such discussions would have been in the normal course of business and not specifically related to the national recognition study.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his policy is on the principle of selective briefings to journalists suggested at Recommendation 32 in the Report of the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces;
	(2)  what discussions  (a) his Department and  (b) the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces (i) has had and (ii) plans to have with HM Treasury on the change of Treasury rules necessary to carry out recommendation 15 of the Report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces in respect of charging for the use of military assets;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing each of the recommendations of the Report on National Recognition of our Armed Forces;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of military and naval man-days necessary to implement each recommendation in the Report on National Recognition of our Armed Forces;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of man-days and  (b) the notional salary costs required to implement the 3+2+1 principle cited in the report on National Recognition of the Armed Forces.

Bob Ainsworth: As I stated in my written ministerial statement on 19 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 3-4WS, many of the Recommendations contained in the Independent Report will require detailed consideration across Government Departments and, where necessary, engagement with other organisations for those that are beyond the sole responsibility of Government. This work will take into account any resource issues and any amendments to existing regulations. We will be responding fully to all the Recommendations as soon as possible.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what egregious cases of media representation informed Recommendation 33G of the Report of the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces; and what official action was taken in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: I understand that Recommendation 33 of the Independent Report into National Recognition of our Armed Forces was not informed by any specific egregious cases and, instead, is recommending a course of action to deal with such cases. The Government will consider the Recommendation and respond as soon as possible, as part of its overall response to the Report.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) local and  (b) regional journalists were consulted in preparing the recommendations relating to improving media coverage contained in the Report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces.

Bob Ainsworth: I understand that the independent team set up to conduct the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces consulted a number of media personnel as set out in Appendix 2 of the Report, a copy of which can be found on the MOD website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/PersonnelPublications/DutyofCare/NationalRecognitionOfOurArmedForces.htm
	In addition, the team consulted with the MOD's Media and Communications organisation and the armed forces' regional staff on a range of issues including their local engagement with the media.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry: National Union of Teachers

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the National Union of Teachers was consulted in preparing the report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces.

Bob Ainsworth: I understand that my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) did not consult the National Union of Teachers in the process of conducting his independent inquiry into the National Recognition of the Armed Forces.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry: Religion

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what leaders of the  (a) Jewish,  (b) Hindu and  (c) Muslim faiths were consulted in the course of the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces;
	(2)  what non-conformist Christian leaders were consulted in the course of the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces.

Bob Ainsworth: The independent Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces invited a number of religious leaders and groups to participate. A complete list of those who contributed is at Appendix 2 to the report, a copy of which can be found on the MOD website at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/PersonnelPublications/DutyofCare/NationalRecognitionOfOurArmedForces.htm.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces: Cost

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of producing and publishing the inquiry into the National Recognition of the Armed Forces Study was.

Bob Ainsworth: The cost of production and publication of the inquiry into National Recognition of the Armed Forces Study is estimated to be some 176,000 of which approximately 144,000 was for the salaries of the two civil servants and one military officer supporting my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies)

Nuclear Reactors

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has  (a) carried out and  (b) commissioned into potential sites for a prototype for the new generation nuclear propulsion plant.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department has neither commissioned nor carried out any studies into potential sites for a prototype for the next generation nuclear propulsion plant.

Nuclear Weapons

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the publications  (a) JSP 518, on regulation of the naval nuclear provision programme and  (b) JSP 471, on defence nuclear accident response.

Bob Ainsworth: A copy of Joint Service Publication (JSP) 518, Regulation of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme, will be placed in the Library of the House.
	JSP 471, Defence Nuclear Accident Response, is available from the MOD website at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/HealthandSafetyPublications/JSP471
	This is an unclassified version of the document, where codeword information has been removed for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Radio Frequencies

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to publish his Department's plan for the release of the military elements of electromagnetic spectrum to the market; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD plans to publish a consultation document on the management and marketing of the UK Defence Spectrum on 30 May 2008.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008,  Official Report, column 484W, on radioactive materials: transport, what plans there are to use existing special nuclear materials load carriers to transport special nuclear materials before replacement carriers are commissioned; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Under current plans, the existing special nuclear materials load carriers will continue to be employed in their current role to transport special nuclear materials in support of the UK deterrent programme, until 2010 when they will be replaced by the Truck Cargo Heavy Duty, Mk 3.

Reserve Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which reservist training exercises were cancelled in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: In the last 12 months the following reservist training exercises were cancelled:
	
		
			   Exercise name 
			 2007 Assegai Eyes 07 
			 2007 Bald Eagle 07/08 
			 2007 Bass Rock 07/08 
			 2007 Fingal's Cave 07/08 
			 2008 Fingal's Cave 08/09 
			 2007 Griffin Harness 07 
			 2007 Lion Star 1 07/08 
			 2007 Lion Star 2 07/08 
			 2007 Lion Star 3 07/08 
			 2007 Lion Star 4 07/08 
			 2008 Marble Tor 1-08/09 
			 2007 Romanian Express 07

South Africa: Mercenaries

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to update the guidance letter issued to South Africans in the British Army dated 20 February 2008 on South African legislation on mercenaries and membership of other nations' armed forces; when guidance on this subject was issued to South African personnel in  (a) the Royal Navy and  (b) the RAF; whether South African personnel will be able to continue to serve in the British armed forces on a conditional or qualified basis on terms set out by the South African government when the legislation comes into force; what meetings have been held between (i) officials and (ii) Ministers and the South African government to discuss the issue; and whether South African personnel in the armed forces will be granted UK citizenship if barred from membership of the UK armed forces by the legislation.

Bob Ainsworth: Letters are sent out to serving South African personnel at regular intervals updating them on the latest situation with regards to the South African legislation on mercenaries and membership of other nations' armed forces. The last letters to Royal Naval personnel were sent out on 31 January 2008 and letters to RAF personnel were sent on 15 February 2008. Further updates will be sent in due course if and when there are further developments.
	We are urgently investigating the potential consequences for South African personnel currently serving in the UK armed forces, so that we can support those who may be affected. Our overriding aim is to secure the continual service of South African personnel in the UK armed forces and for them to be able to deploy on operations. We hope to send a team of officials to South Africa to hold face to face discussions with the officials who will be drafting the new regulations as it is the details of these underlying regulations that will allow us to understand what real effect the new Act, when it comes into force, will have on personnel.
	Representations have been made by the Secretary of State for Defence to the South African Defence Minister, Mr. Lekota, on the potential implications the legislation would have on recruitment and retention of personnel into the UK armed forces. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence wrote to Mr. Lekota in August 2006 and followed this up with a telephone conversation in December 2006 and he wrote again in April 2007. Our high commissioner to South Africa, Paul Boateng, has also made representations to the Government of South Africa on several occasions. His last letter was sent to Mr. Lekota on 22 January 2008.
	The Mercenary Act was discussed at the UK-South Africa bilateral Defence Staff talks held in the MOD on 3-4 March 2008 with the aim of securing a date for an officials visit at the earliest opportunity.
	Under current rules eligible SA citizens serving in the British armed forces can apply for British citizenship if they have been resident in the UK for a five year period, or three years if married or in a civil partnership to a British citizen. Service in the armed forces, at home and abroad, counts towards the residential qualifying period. We are discussing other options with the Home Office should South African personnel be barred from membership of the UK armed forces.
	We cannot say precisely what the implications of the legislation are for our people until the details of the regulations are divulged to us.

Veterans Day

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from non-governmental organisations on the events organised to celebrate the last Veterans Day.

Derek Twigg: Following Veterans Day 2007, the event was discussed in July and October at the Veterans Executive Steering Group which is chaired by the MOD and attended by the Confederation of Service and Ex-Service Organisations (COBSEO) and the heads of a number of its key member organisations. Their main comments were that COBSEO members should have wider and earlier visibility of events, that there should be higher level VIP support at the major events and that the London event should have a more central location. All these issues have been addressed for this year's events and COBSEO has been an integral part of our planning process since October 2007. Both the Government and the main ex-service charities have recognised that Veterans Day would need to be built up over a number of years. We are committed to working in partnership with the non-government organisations and others to achieve proper public recognition for the nation's veterans.

Veterans Day

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to improve the event organised to celebrate Veterans Day.

Derek Twigg: When the Government first launched Veterans day in 2006 as a key element of its initiative to improve the nation's recognition of its veterans and their achievements, it made clear that this was something that would need to be built up over a number of years. Veterans day 2008 promises to be a further step forward from last year with improved quality and size of events and growing public involvement.
	The MOD does not organise Veterans day events itself but encourages and assists event organisers with advice and makes funding support available to those that meet the qualifying criteria; this funding increased last year and has again been increased for 2008. The aim is to encourage communities to take the initiative in the organising of events, whether in large cities or more widely, allowing them a wide degree of freedom to design events that engage young and old, while conveying our key messages about the achievements and diversity of veterans and the support available to them.
	Recent measures to improve the quality of events have included a briefing of potential major event organisers last September, involving representatives from over 30 towns and cities across the United Kingdom; regular engagement with the key ex-service organisations; and wider work to promote the celebration of our veterans and to share best practice, including engagement with the local councils and civic offices, and presentations and coaching to other potential event organisers. I also hosted a Veterans day reception and briefing for all MPs in January, while detailed information on organising Veterans day events was sent to all MPs offices.
	These actions have resulted in higher quality event bids and, reflecting this, MOD has allocated more funding in 2008 than in 2007.
	As you will be aware, the National Recognition Study, authored by my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies), has just been released and makes a number of recommendations that could further enhance our recognition and celebration of the nation's veterans. We welcome these but will need to give them detailed consideration before deciding precisely how to take them forward.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently has no apprenticeships.
	A pilot for apprenticeships, being run by Government Skillswhich has recently become part of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skillsis due to start in September. The FCO is in the process of evaluating scope for us to be involved in the pilot as a precursor to rolling out an apprenticeship-based induction for our support staff intake next year. The apprenticeships will offer National Vocational Qualification Level 2 and 3 qualifications in Business Administration.
	FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO, runs an advanced apprenticeship scheme for IT engineers. They have recruited an average of eight advanced apprentices per year over the last three years and currently have 22 advanced apprentices on their headcount. In September 2008, eight of the current advanced apprentices are due to graduate to substantive positions within their specialism. FCO Services currently plans to recruit an additional 30 advanced apprentices during this financial year.

British Council: Languages

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by the British Council on promoting the  (a) English and  (b) Welsh language outside the UK in each of the last five years.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 20 May 2008
	 The following amounts have been spent by the British Council on the promotion of English language learning in each of the last five financial years:
	
		
			
			 2007-08 (1)195,597 
			 2006-07 205,911 
			 2005-06 190,419 
			 2004-05 184,484 
			 2003-04 181,731 
			 (1) Provisional 
		
	
	On behalf of the Welsh Assembly and through the British Council's grant in aid, the following amounts have been spent in support of the promotion of the Welsh language outside the UK in the last four financial years, and has been allocated for the current financial year:
	
		
			
			 2008-09 64,100 
			 2007-08 40,000 
			 2006-07 55,000 
			 2005-06 56,550 
			 2004-05 53,000

Burma: United Nations

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2008 to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Norfolk (Mr. Simpson),  Official Report, column 1813W, on Burma: United Nations, what further steps he has taken to co-ordinate international pressure on the ruling authorities in Burma to permit the fullest possible assistance to reach those affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, and I, have continued lobbying regional leaders. My noble Friend, Lord Malloch-Brown, visited Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Burma for ministerial discussions recently. On 19 May the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers agreed to create an aid co-ordination and delivery mechanism for Burma. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Burma with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on 20 May. The UN Secretary-General attended the International Conference on Aid to Burma, co-ordinated by the UN and ASEAN, held in Rangoon on 25 May. We will continue to encourage the ASEAN countries urgently to set up a supply chain which we, and other donors, can use. We will continue to press for unfettered access to all the affected areas.

Chevening Scholarships Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people from each country received Chevening scholarships in each of the last five years.

Jim Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 16 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 996-99W. Details for the academic year 2003-04 are given in the Chevening Programme annual report for that year, which is also available at:
	http://www.chevening.com/about/reports/.
	A copy will also be placed in the Library of the House.
	Details for the academic year 2007-08 are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Country  Core scheme  Central partnership  Fellows  Total 
			 Afghanistan 12 1  13 
			 Albania 7 3 7 17 
			 Algeria 6  1 7 
			 Angola 2  1 3 
			 Anguilla 1   1 
			 Antigua 0  1 1 
			 Argentina 13 4  17 
			 Armenia 4 1 1 6 
			 Australia 6 5  11 
			 Azerbaijan 4 3 3 10 
			 Bahamas 1 1  2 
			 Bahrain 6  1 7 
			 Bangladesh 7  5 12 
			 Barbados 0  1 1 
			 Belarus 3 7  10 
			 Belize 1   1 
			 Bolivia 1 2  3 
			 Bosnia 7 2 1 10 
			 Botswana 2 1 1 4 
			 Brazil 31 3 6 40 
			 British Virgin Islands 0   0 
			 Brunei 2   2 
			 Bulgaria 5 12  17 
			 Burma 12  6 18 
			 Cambodia 2  9 11 
			 Cameroon 3 2 7 12 
			 Canada 6  2 8 
			 Cayman Islands 1   1 
			 Chile 12   12 
			 China 145 8 10 163 
			 Colombia 6 4 1 11 
			 Costa Rica 2  1 3 
			 Cote D'Ivoire 0   0 
			 Croatia 4 16 3 23 
			 Cuba 3   3 
			 Cyprus 2   2 
			 Czech Republic 2 2  4 
			 Dem Rep Congo 2 1  3 
			 Dominica 1   1 
			 Dominican Rep ( Haiti) 3   3 
			 DPR Korea 0   0 
			 East Jerusalem 10 4 5 19 
			 East Timor 1   1 
			 Ecuador 2  2 4 
			 Egypt 28 5 7 40 
			 El Salvador 1   1 
			 Eritrea 0   0 
			 Estonia 3  2 5 
			 Ethiopia 8  4 12 
			 Fiji 1   1 
			 Gambia 1   1 
			 Georgia 6 13 2 21 
			 Ghana 7 1 2 10 
			 Guatemala 0   0 
			 Guyana 1  2 3 
			 Honduras 0 1  1 
			 Hong Kong 24 4 2 30 
			 Hungary 2 2 1 5 
			 Iceland 0   0 
			 India 45 6 1 52 
			 Indonesia 31 7 7 45 
			 Iran 21 1 3 25 
			 Iraq 20 1  21 
			 Israel 9 1  10 
			 Jamaica 7   7 
			 Japan 5   5 
			 Jordan 10 1 2 13 
			 Kazakhstan 5 4 2 11 
			 Kenya 11 2 7 20 
			 Kiribati 0   0 
			 Korea 34   34 
			 Kosovo 8 6  14 
			 Kuwait 3  1 4 
			 Kyrgyzstan 2 4  6 
			 Laos 0   0 
			 Latvia 2  1 3 
			 Lebanon 5 1 1 7 
			 Lesotho 3   3 
			 Liberia 0  2 2 
			 Libya 6   6 
			 Lithuania 2   2 
			 Luxembourg 0   0 
			 Macedonia 6 4 1 11 
			 Madagascar 0   0 
			 Malawi 3 9 2 14 
			 Malaysia 23 2 6 31 
			 Maldives 1   1 
			 Mali 0   0 
			 Malta 5  1 6 
			 Mauritius 2   2 
			 Mexico 35 1 6 42 
			 Micronesia 1   1 
			 Moldova 3 3  6 
			 Mongolia 2 5  7 
			 Montenegro 1   1 
			 Montserrat 1   1 
			 Morocco 5   5 
			 Mozambique 3 1 1 5 
			 Namibia 3   3 
			 Nepal 2 1 5 8 
			 New Zealand 0 2 1 3 
			 Nicaragua 1   1 
			 Niger 0   0 
			 Nigeria 28 6 2 36 
			 Oman 8  2 10 
			 Pakistan 28 8 14 50 
			 Panama 1   1 
			 Papua New Guinea 1   1 
			 Paraguay 1   1 
			 Peru 1 1  2 
			 Philippines 5 1 11 17 
			 Poland 11 2 4 17 
			 Qatar 0   0 
			 Romania 7 13 1 21 
			 Russia 29 10 2 41 
			 Rwanda 2   2 
			 Saudi Arabia 0   0 
			 Senegal 2  2 4 
			 Serbia 5 10 3 18 
			 Seychelles 1   1 
			 Sierra Leone 3 1  4 
			 Singapore 4  3 7 
			 Slovakia 3  1 4 
			 Slovenia 8   8 
			 Solomon Islands 0   0 
			 South Africa 12 3 3 18 
			 Sri Lanka 4 1  5 
			 St. Helena 1   1 
			 St. Kitts and Nevis 0   0 
			 St. Lucia 0   0 
			 St. Vincent 2   2 
			 Sudan 6 1 6 13 
			 Swaziland 0 1  1 
			 Syria 15 5  20 
			 Taiwan 9  1 10 
			 Tajikistan 3 12  15 
			 Tanzania 6 3 1 10 
			 Thailand 7 1 2 10 
			 Tonga 0 1  1 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 2 2 2 6 
			 Tunisia 4  4 8 
			 Turkey 33 2 6 41 
			 Turkmenistan 2 2  4 
			 Tuvalu 0   0 
			 UAE 3   3 
			 Uganda 5 6  11 
			 Ukraine 12 2  14 
			 Uruguay 2  1 3 
			 USA 0  1 1 
			 Uzbekistan 2 4 4 10 
			 Vanuatu 0   0 
			 Venezuela 4  2 6 
			 Vietnam 13 4 8 25 
			 Yemen 6   6 
			 Zambia 7 14  21 
			 Zimbabwe 14 14  28 
			 Totals 1,070 300 233 1,603

China: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese authorities on demonstrators and other human rights activists arrested as a result of their interventions over the situation in Tibet.

Meg Munn: We regularly urge the Chinese Government to protect the right of all individuals to peaceful expression of their views on all issues. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang on several occasions, since the recent unrest in Tibet, urging respect for human rights in Tibet, including the right to freedom of expression. His officials have raised the issue of arrests directly with the Chinese authorities.
	In addition, following the unrest in March, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary took part in the informal Gymnich meeting of EU Foreign Ministers from 28 to 29 March. EU Foreign Ministers expressed their concern over Tibet, calling for an end to violence and asking that arrested persons be treated in conformity with international standards.

China: Politics and Government

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent sentences handed down to seven nuns by the Chinese authorities in relation to the March and April 2008 protests in Tibet; and whether he has made any representations to the Chinese authorities about the sentences.

Meg Munn: We continue to receive a range of reports concerning the detention and arrests of numerous individuals in relation to the recent unrest in Tibet, including nearly 100 nuns in Khardze County, Sichuan Province. Together with EU partners, we continue to urge the Chinese Government to ensure due process for all detainees, including access to legal counsel of choice and access for independent observers to all trials. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary raised these concerns with their Chinese counterparts on several occasions since the protests. The EU raised these concerns at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, which took place in Slovenia on 15 May.

Departmental Internet

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department's Bloggers website has cost.

Jim Murphy: The costs involved in setting up the blogging platform were given in my written response to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 828W.
	The blogs are now part of the new FCO web platform. The ongoing costs of the blogs are included in the overall costs of the web platform, details of which were given by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Meg Munn), on 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 398W.

Ethiopia: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the status of the UN Peacekeeping Force located in the Ethiopia-Eritrea border zone.

Meg Munn: The status of the UN peacekeeping mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is currently being discussed at the UN Security Council, as the mission cannot fulfil its mandate because of the restrictions placed on it by Eritrea.
	In February, UNMEE began to re-locate from the Temporary Security Zone, a strip of land between the Ethiopian and Eritrean army lines (running close to the Ethiopian/Eritrean border) established under the auspices of the Algiers Agreement. The re-location is now largely complete with just a small contingent on the Ethiopian side of the border and a small number of troops, guarding equipment, in Asmara, Eritrea.

EU Action

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for  (a) directives,  (b) regulations and  (c) other legislative instruments were put forward by the European Commission in each month since January 2007.

Jim Murphy: The information requested is readily available on the EU website at the following address:
	http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/COMMonth.do?year=2007 month=01.
	This website provides access to all Commission legislative proposals to the Council and other institutions since 1999.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether representations have been made to the government of Iran on the arrest of a number of prominent individuals who are adherents of the Baha'i faith in that country.

Kim Howells: We are deeply concerned by the arrests of the informal Baha'i leadership in Tehran on 14 May and the ongoing persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran. We remain committed to pressing the government of Iran to address its poor human rights record, including by protecting the right to religious freedom and ending the discrimination of the Baha'is in Iran. Following a recommendation by the UK, the EU issued a public declaration on 21 May which expressed serious concern about the continuing systematic discrimination and harassment of the Iranian Baha'is on the grounds of their religion and called for the release of the detained individuals. We will continue to raise this issue with the Iranian authorities.

Iran: Foreign Relations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the circumstances and nature of the dmarche by the Iranian government to the UK ambassador in Tehran on 12 May 2008 were; what response the Government made; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Safari called in our ambassador in Tehran on 12 May. He raised a number of ongoing bilateral issues, including the recent Court of Appeal judgment on the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MeK). Mr. Safari expressed concern about the verdict and gave an account of terrorist acts which the MeK had committed over the years. Our ambassador took note and handed over a copy of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement on the judgment, which set out the Government's position on the verdict.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his United States counterpart on the political situation in Iraq.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with his US counterpart on the political situation in Iraq, covering a wide range of issues including how best to support the democratic Government of Iraq in their efforts to deliver security, political stability and economic growth for the Iraqi people.

Krishna Maharaj

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US authorities on the case of Krishna Maharaj; whether British Government representatives will attend the June clemency hearing in Tallahassee; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to Governor Crist on 12 May in respect of the outstanding plea for clemency for Mr. Maharaj. A consular official plans to attend the June clemency hearing.

Slovakia: Arms Trade

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has met the Slovakian Ambassador in London to discuss the issue of arms sales to non-EU countries.

Jim Murphy: No such meeting has occurred between my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Slovak ambassador in London to discuss the issue of arms sales to non-EU countries.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the scale and nature of arms transfers from Chad to Darfur-based rebel groups; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We understand that the Governments of Chad and Sudan have been supporting each other's rebels, including through transfers of equipment and arms. Through the UN and EU, and in bilateral contacts, we have called on both governments to fulfil their commitments under the Dakar Agreement of 13 March 2008 and previous agreements to end immediately their support to each other's armed groups.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the situation in Abyei, Sudan on clashes between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and local militias; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We are aware of the clashes between the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army and local militias from 14-17 May in Abyei, which resulted in the displacement of approximately 50,000 people from the town. A local cease-fire has been brokered by the UN Mission in Sudan.
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development and my noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, raised the issue of the disputed border between North and South Sudan during their meetings with the Sudanese Foreign Minister of 28-30 April. They urged the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan to engage with the Assessment and Evaluation Commission as a suitable body to broker a resolution for the border disputes.

Sudan: Overseas Residence

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British expatriates are living in Khartoum; what assessment he has made of their safety following the recent attacks by rebel groups on the city; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: There are 726 people (British nationals and their dependants) registered with our embassy in Khartoum and eligible for British consular support.
	We are not aware of any specific targeting of British nationals during the recent unrest and the security situation in Khartoum is now becoming more stable. However, we will continue to monitor this closely, in liaison with other diplomatic missions and international organisations as well as the Government of Sudan.
	During the recent attacks, our embassy established a 24-hour operations centre to answer inquiries and provide advice and support to UK nationals on the latest security developments in and around Khartoum. This information was transmitted via our regularly updated Travel Advice and the Warden's network already in place in Khartoum.

Tourism: Death

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many deaths of British citizens have been reported in holiday resort areas in  (a) Spain,  (b) Italy and  (c) Greece in each of the previous five years.

Jim Murphy: We do not maintain records of deaths specifically in resort areas. The following table provides the number of deaths of British nationals, including both UK visitors and UK residents, which required action by consular staff throughout Spain, Italy and Greece in each of the financial years from 2002-03 to 2006-07. All three countries were in the top five European destinations for UK tourists in 2006-07, and have a high number of UK residents.
	
		
			  Number of deaths of British nationals requiring action by Consular staff 
			   Financial y ear 
			  Country  2002- 03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Spain 1,453 1,559 1,243 1,325 1,591 
			 Italy 118 121 106 98 156 
			 Greece 238 159 134 139 131

Treaty of Lisbon: Republic of Ireland

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has made to revisit the proposed Lisbon treaty in the event of a no vote in the forthcoming referendum in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Lisbon treaty shall enter into force only after being ratified by all 27 member states in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. In the UK, the EU (Amendment) Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords. The UK does not speculate on the ratification processes of the Lisbon treaty in other member states.

USA: Terrorism

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the US Government requesting the disqualification of evidence extracted by torture in the trial of 9/11 suspects.

Kim Howells: The Military Commissions Act, the US legislation which applies to the Military Commissions designed to try unlawful enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay, mandates that evidence obtained under torture is inadmissible. Admissibility of evidence in practice will be for the Military Commissions themselves to determine with respect to the individual cases brought. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has raised concerns about the implementation of the Military Commissions process with the US.

Yemen: Politics and Government

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Yemen.

Kim Howells: There are no plans to make a statement at present.

Zimbabwe: Education

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the effects of the political situation in Zimbabwe on that country's education system.

Meg Munn: The education system, like so much of the infrastructure in Zimbabwe, has suffered as a result of the Mugabe regime's economic and political mismanagement. Many professional teachers have left the country, unable to survive on the low wages in the hyper-inflationary economy. Of those who have remained, many are now the targets of state-sponsored violence and intimidation because they acted as polling agents in the recent elections. This is only serving to encourage more teachers to leave Zimbabwe and further debilitate the education system. As a result of the economic crisis, schools now charge exorbitant user fees. Whereas in 2002 over 90 per cent. of children were in school, that figure is now thought to be fewer than 70 per cent.

TREASURY

Academies

Linda Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Prime Minister's Office's recent report on academies; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Reports from the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit comprise confidential policy advice to the Prime Minister and Ministers, and are not published.

Aggregates Levy

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in the tonnage of aggregates extracted as a result of the operation of the aggregates levy, in each year since 2002, broken down by materials  (a) subject and  (b) not subject to the levy.

Angela Eagle: Trends in taxable aggregate extraction are available at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullaggr
	This source also provides information on extraction of tax exempt and relieved aggregates by registered aggregate levy traders, though this is likely to be an incomplete picture as some exempt aggregates will be extracted at sites that are not registered for the levy.

Aggregates Levy

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of revenue raised from the aggregates levy was contributed to the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund in each year since 2003.

Angela Eagle: The value of the aggregates levy sustainability fund has been fixed at 35 million each year across the UK. This figure is roughly 10 per cent. of aggregates levy receipts in each year since 2003.

Australia

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs have visited Australia in an official capacity since 1 January 2008; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 22 May 2008
	There have been two visits to Australia by HM Treasury and HMRC staff since 1 January 2008 as follows.
	Two Treasury officials visited Australia primarily to discuss matters relating to tax credits. There have been two HM Revenue and Customs staff making visits to Australia, on separate occasions, the first accompanying the Treasury officials mentioned above; the second to represent HMRC at two international groups, that co-ordinated the dates of meeting to minimise cost, and who meet twice a year split between the UK and Australia. The first group met with representatives from UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Netherlands to discuss and review progress on the implementation of work commissioned by the OECD Taxpayer Service Group. The second group The International Standard Business Reporting Forum met to resolve a number of international reporting standards to improve financial reporting to Governments. In addition it acts as a mutual assistance group of practitioners from the public and private sector.

Bank Notes

Si�n James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of 5 notes in circulation; whether he has taken steps to encourage the banking industry to make 5 notes available through cash machines; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Bank of England data show that at the end of February 2008 there was approximately 1,250 million of 5 notes in circulation.
	In his speech at the Mansion House in June 2007, the Governor of the Bank of England highlighted that he was concerned about the availability of 5 notes to the public. He also stated that there was an ample supply of 5 notes available from the Bank of England and suggested that banks might need greater incentives to put the available 5 notes into circulation.
	Since the Governor's speech, the annual growth rate of 5 notes in circulation has risen from around 5 per cent. to around 10 per cent. I understand that the Bank of England is currently holding discussions with commercial institutions about this matter.

Borrowing

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether borrowing by housing associations is included in public sector borrowing figures; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Classification of bodies is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics, who are responsible for producing the national accounts to internationally agreed standards.
	The ONS have classified housing associations to the private sector as non-financial corporations. As these are private sector bodies their transactions will not be recorded in the public sector finances.

Capital Gains Tax: Biotechnology

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration the Government has given to the possible effect on  (a) the competitiveness of the UK biotechnology industry and  (b) spending on health and biotech research and development of the removal of taper relief and the imposition of an 18 per cent. rate on capital gains in his recent budget report.

Angela Eagle: The Government take a range of factors into consideration when formulating tax policy, and keep all aspects of policy under review.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what visits he made to  (a) Harrogate International Centre,  (b) International Conference Centre, Birmingham,  (c) Manchester Central,  (d) Scottish Exhibitional and Conference Centre, Glasgow,  (e) Edinburgh International Conference Centre,  (f) Bournemouth International Conference Centre,  (g) the Brighton Centre, Brighton,  (h) the Riviera Centre, Torquay,  (i) Queen Elizabeth Centre, London,  (j) Excel Conference Centre, Docklands, London, and  (k) Business Design Centre, Islington, London, in the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007; and what events he attended at each.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions he has visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: In the last 12 months, Ministers have visited  (a) Scotland five times,  (b) Wales five times and  (c) Northern Ireland once in their official capacity. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many freedom of information requests made to his Department were  (a) answered (i) within 20 days, (ii) within 40 days, (iii) within 60 days and (iv) after 60 days,  (b) not answered and  (c) answered citing an exemption in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as a reason not to provide the requested information in each year since the Act came into force.

Angela Eagle: The Ministry of Justice has published two annual reports containing statistical information on freedom of information requests received by monitored bodies (including central Government Departments) in 2005 and 2006. These reports can be found at the following address:
	http://www.dca.gov.uk/foi/reference/statisticsAndReports.htm
	The 2007 annual report is currently being drafted for publication in June 2008. However, statistics on requests received in each quarter of 2007 have been published and can be found via the MOJ website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomof information quarterly.htm
	The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires public bodies to respond to written requests within 20 working days of receipt, but allows additional time for the consideration of the public interest in disclosing the requested information.
	The published reports provide statistics on the number of non-routine requests received during each period where: an initial response was provided within 20 working days; an initial response was given outside this time but a public interest test extension had been applied; an initial response was given outside this time and no public interest test extension was applied, and where no initial response had been given at the time the statistics were collected.
	The 2006 annual report provides statistics on the duration of the public interest test extensions in that year. Corresponding statistics for 2007 will be available when the 2007 annual report is published.
	Information requests where deadlines were extended beyond 40 days is not collected in the form requested; however the proportion of resolvable requests the Department answered in time (ie meeting the deadline or with a permitted extension) in 2007 was 95 per cent.
	For 2005 and 2006, the reports show the number of requests received by the department which were withheld, either in full or in part, where an FOI exemption or EIR exception was applied. For 2007, the number of such requests was 113, based on aggregated quarterly statistics from 2007.
	Requests withheld solely under the exemption applicable to information available by other means are not included; statistics on these are not collected centrally because they are dealt with as routine business.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception.

Angela Eagle: A list providing information relating to official receptions hosted by Ministers in this Department for the financial year 2007-08 will be published in due course.

Departmental Pensions

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that its members of staff who are entitled to  (a) added years and  (b) additional voluntary contributions are aware of how to apply;
	(2)  what steps his Department takes to ensure that its staff are informed of the benefits of additional voluntary schemes at the commencement of their employment in the Civil Service.

Angela Eagle: Pension scheme members receive an annual benefit statement showing the pension built up to date, and also a projection of pension on retirement if the member continues in service to scheme pension age. The benefit statement provides details of the civil service pensions website where staff can obtain further information, including on options for making additional voluntary contributions to boost their pension.
	New entrants are informed of pension options in the employment offer and are provided with a pension information pack.

Departmental Standards

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projects sponsored by his Department were subject to Gateway reviews in each of the last four years; what status each project was assigned under such reviews; how much his Department spent on Gateway reviews in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 15 May 2008
	 Gateway reports, including the findings and status, are conducted on a confidential basis for Senior Responsible Owners (SRO). OGC does not, therefore, make this information routinely public.
	The following information provides a list of the Gateway Reviews undertaken on OGC projects over the last four years:
	 2004
	Electronic Document and Records Management System
	SACS Re-competition
	Successful Delivery Programme
	Zanzibar (P)
	Efficiency Programme
	Gsi Succession
	Electronic Document and Records Management System
	Kelly Action Plan Implementation Programme
	London Relocation Project
	Lyons Implementation Programme (Government Relocation Programme)
	Efficiency Review - Procurement Workstream Programme (P)
	OGCBS e-Sourcing Framework
	Customer Database
	SME Procurement Pilots
	GW Low Risk Process
	Flexible Benefits
	Publishing Contract Recompetition
	Leeds Modernisation
	OGCBS MTS Extension
	Web and Online Channel Dump
	GPC Re-let
	Web and Online Channel Development
	L-Cat
	Property Benchmarking Service
	Gateway Upgrade System
	OGCBS Customer Database
	Norwich Workspace Refresh
	Gateway Refresh
	Infrastructure
	SACS Recompetition
	TH Relocation
	GW Low Risk Process
	IS/IT Infrastructure ProjectBenefits Evaluation
	SME Procurement Pilots
	Medium Risk Delegation Programme
	Government BuildingsStanmore Disposal
	Norwich Workspace Refresh
	OGCBS e-Sourcing Frameworks
	OGCBS MTS Extension
	e-PIMS
	 2005
	Norwich Workspace Refresh
	Infrastructure II Project
	Property Benchmarking Service
	OGCBS e-Sourcing Project
	SACS Recompetition
	Norwich Workspace Refresh
	Infrastructure II Project
	Zanzibar (P)
	Shared Accounting Services Programme
	Web Strategy (SWIM)
	e-PIMSElectronic Property Information Mapping Service
	Frameworks Programme
	ICT Programme
	Workspace Modernisation Programme
	Postal Services
	Efficiency Programme
	Productive Time Change Agent
	Web Strategy (SWIM)
	Postal Services
	Lyons Implementation Programme (Government Relocation Programme)
	Efficiency ReviewProcurement Workstream Programme (P)
	Commercial Activity Recompetition Project
	Kelly Action Plan Implementation Programme
	Web Strategy (SWIM)
	Gateway Upgrade System
	 2006
	Norwich Workspace Refresh
	Leeds Modernisation
	Government BuildingsStanmore Disposal
	GW Low Risk Process
	Gateway Refresh II
	OGCBS Business Travel Project
	SACS Recompetition (Repeat)
	Zanzibar (P)
	Postal Services
	MC Engagement Programme
	e-PIMSElectronic Property Information Mapping Service
	Commercial Activity Recompetition Project
	Web Strategy (SWIM)
	Efficiency ReviewProcurement Workstream Programme (P)
	Efficiency Programme
	Maximising Future Value from OGC Gateway
	Lyons Implementation Programme (Government Relocation Programme)
	Commercial Activity Recompetition Project
	 2007
	Gateway Refresh II
	Gateway Upgrade System
	SWIMWeb Modernisation Project
	Property Benchmarking Service
	OGCBS Shared Events Service
	High Performing Property
	 2008
	Consultancy Services Framework. Now known as External Resources Framework
	The following information provides a list of the Gateway Reviews undertaken on HMT projects over the last four years:
	 2004
	Civil Registration Review Programme
	Risk Management Improvement Programme
	Euro Preparation Programme
	Civil Registration Review Programme
	2011 Census Project
	Risk Management Improvement Programme
	 2005
	Civil Registration Review Programme
	2011 Census Project
	Civil Registration Review Programme
	 2006
	2011 Census Project
	 2007
	HMT Group Corporate Services Programme
	HMT Group Corporate Services Programme
	In principle OGC aims for Gateway reviews to be cost neutral by using and sharing civil service Gateway reviewers. However, where there is a shortfall in reviewers, or if there are specialist skills required, for example with construction projects, suitably accredited external resource may be used. OGC does not keep records of the cost of each individual review but OGC does keep records of total consultancy spend on Gateway reviews.
	
		
			  Spend on Gateway reviews 
			
			 2004-05 42,366 
			 2005-06 39,933 
			 2006-07 27,680 
			 2007-08 8,288

Departmental Travel

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies spent on first class travel in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by staff grade.

Angela Eagle: Information on the number and class of tickets purchased is not normally held, because the Treasury's accounting system records the costs of travel but not the number or type of tickets bought. However, for financial year 2006-07, the Treasury's travel management company provided information on the number and type of tickets purchased through them.
	The combined spending of HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office on UK and overseas first class travel was 490,000. Tickets bought but subsequently refunded are excluded and some tickets are bought directly by the traveller, so this information is not a complete record of all tickets bought by the Treasury. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.
	The total costs of first class travel completed by Valuation Office Agency staff in the 2006-07 financial year are not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information on first class Eurostar travel is available separately and amounted to 1,745 in 2006-07.
	The accounting systems of Office of Government Commerce, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Office for National Statistics, Royal Mint, Government Actuary's Department, National Savings and Investments and OGCbuying.solutions do not separately identify classes of travel and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Rates: Tax Rates and Bands

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many domestic properties have been re-banded as a result of adjoining terraced houses being knocked through and turned into a single dwelling house in each year since 2000.

Jane Kennedy: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what uses the revenue from auctioning allowances under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will be put.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 22 May 2008
	The framework for future phases of EU ETS is currently under discussion and as such no structure for auctioning in future phases has been decided. The revised EU ETS directive is due to be finalised later this year.
	Any revenue raised through the use of auctioning would be considered part of general revenue streams, and the spending review process ensures that resources are allocated efficiently to deliver Government objectives.

Eurostar

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies spent on  (a) first and  (b) other class travel by Eurostar in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: Information on the number and type of Eurostar train tickets purchased is not normally held, because the Treasury's accounting system records the costs of travel but not the number or type of tickets bought. However, for financial year 2006-07, the Treasury's travel management company had provided information on the number and type of tickets purchased through them.
	The combined spending of HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office was 283,000 first class and 17,000 second class. Tickets bought but subsequently refunded are excluded and some tickets are bought directly by the traveller, so this information is not a complete record of all Eurostar tickets bought by the Treasury.
	Spending by the Valuation Office Agency was 1,745 on first class with no second class spending. The remaining agencies' accounting systems do not separately identify transport providers and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Income Tax: Tax Thresholds

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely additional cost to the public purse of higher rate tax relief for pension contributions arising from the proposed reduction in the threshold for higher rate tax.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 22 May 2008
	Latest detailed estimates of the annual cost of tax relief on registered pension schemes are available in Table 7.9 on Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/Densions/menu.htm
	Reducing the income level at which the higher rate applies by 600 will have no significant impact on the estimate of this relief.

Insurance: Disclosure of Information

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with the Financial Services Authority on mandatory commission disclosure for insurance brokers.

Kitty Ussher: Her Majesty's Treasury maintains a close dialogue with the Financial Services Authority that covers regulatory issues including mandatory commission disclosure for insurance brokers.

Insurance: Housing

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to encourage the insurance industry to provide more insurance products aimed at low income households for both contents and buildings.

Kitty Ussher: In order to improve access to insurance, the Government have asked the financial inclusion task force to analyse three issues: which types of insurance are most needed by financially excluded customers; the barriers, including cost, to excluded customers of taking up these insurance products; and how these barriers might be overcome, drawing on evidence on the success of insurance with rent, and risk reduction projects.
	The task force is due to report on its findings to Government shortly. The final report will be published on the financial inclusion task force website, and Government will consider these findings.

Insurance: Housing

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek discussions with registered social landlords to encourage take-up of contents insurance among their tenants.

Kitty Ussher: The financial inclusion Champions initiative was announced in December 2007 with an allocation of 12 million from the Financial Inclusion Fund. The Champions initiative will operate between 2008-11 and will seek to implement and coordinate financial inclusion activities at a local level, with work to promote demand for appropriate financial services, including insurance.
	The financial inclusion Champions initiative will provide dedicated members of staff with experience of working on financial inclusion to work with housing associations and social landlords in specific geographical areas to promote and support the supply and take-up of insurance schemes targeted at social tenants.

Low Incomes

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to assist people on low incomes; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Since 1997 the Government have introduced a series of reforms to make work pay and to guarantee minimum weekly incomes for families with and without children. By October 2008, in real terms, families with children in the poorest fifth of the population will be, on average, 4,100 a year better off.
	The working tax credit and the national minimum wage work together to provide a guaranteed income in work. The minimum income guarantee for single people aged 25 or over, and in full-time work, has increased by 30 per cent. in real terms since 1999.
	On 13 May 2008, the Chancellor announced further support for low and middle-income families for 2008-09. For the current tax year, income tax personal allowances will be increased by 600 for all tax payers under 65. Around 22 million basic-rate taxpayers will benefit from this change.
	The Government will set out plans for future years in the 2008 pre-Budget report, with the aim to continue the same level of support for those on lower incomes.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 5 March 2008, on the abolition of the 10 per cent. tax rate (PO reference: 1/54880/2008).

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 28 April 2008
	 I replied to the hon. Member on 14 May.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 5 March 2008, on benefits and tax thresholds, PO reference: 1/55049/2008.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 29 April 2008
	I replied to the hon. Member on 14 May.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 April from the hon. Member for Walsall North regarding a constituent.

Kitty Ussher: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 19 March 2008 from the right hon. Member for Gordon on capital financing in Scotland and future projects.

Yvette Cooper: I have replied to the right hon. Member.

National Insurance

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the additional cost or saving to the Exchequer that would arise from collecting employee national insurance on an annual cumulative basis similar to PAYE.

Jane Kennedy: At Budget 2006 the Government announced that they would review the case for aligning income tax and national insurance, with the aim of reducing administrative burdens on employers and improving outcomes for those on lower incomes. The report Income tax and national insurance alignment an evidence-based assessment published at pre-Budget report in October 2007 sets out the conclusions of the review, and Chapter 3 includes detailed analysis of the costs and benefits of moving to an annual and cumulative NICs system.
	The report can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/B/B/pbr_csr07_ incometax713.pdf

Pre-School Education: Finance

Susan Kramer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending the early years education entitlement to 20 hours per week for  (a) three to five year olds in workless households,  (b) children living in relative poverty and  (c) all three to five year olds.

Yvette Cooper: The CSR settlement for DCSF announced at Budget 2007 includes more than 3 billion per year on funding the free early education entitlement. An additional 590 million over the CSR period will extend that entitlement to 15 hours per week by 2010-11. The free-entitlement funding is in addition to significant increases in funding for other Sure Start, Childcare and early years policies, such as children's centres and improved quality provision, leading to spending over 1.6 billion by 2010-11, an increase of over 340 million during the CSR period.
	To estimate costs of an extension to 20 hours would require an analysis of childcare costs and other factors at the time of implementation, and of the impact on both supply of and demand for provision in the childcare market. Costing a targeted extension would require an assessment of any extra administrative costs from targeting and any differences in the cost of making provision available to particular groups.

Public Expenditure: Defence

Liam Fox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes to the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance for 2008-09 he intends to make in relation to the Ministry of Defence; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Such changes to the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance for 2008-09 as will affect the Ministry of Defence's budgeting framework are summarised in the Guidance on page 3.
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/4/1/consoldated_budguid 010208.pdf

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs received the letter from the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on the credit appeal of a constituent (reference chm/08593/2008); and when he expects to bring the appeal to tribunal.

Jane Kennedy: The HM Revenue and Customs acting chairman received my right hon. Friend's letter on 6 March 2008.
	HMRC have now settled this appeal direct with the customer.

Revenue and Customs: Kendal

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects a decision on the retention or closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Kendal to be made; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC has recently announced to staff its intention to put forward proposals for consultation for all its offices that have not yet been reviewed, including Kendal, by early June. It hopes to announce decisions on the future of those offices by the end of the year.

Subsidies: Agriculture

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to publish his recent letter to other EU finance ministers on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor's letter of 13 May to the Slovenian Finance Minister is available on the Treasury's website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/4/1/chx_letter 130508.pdf

Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the ministerial duties and responsibilities of the Vice-Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household are, with particular reference to communication with Buckingham Palace.

Angela Eagle: The duties and responsibilities of the Vice-Chamberlain are not a matter for the Treasury.

Welfare Tax Credits

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 12-13WS, on tax credits, for what reason the numbers of overpaid awards were expressed in multiples of a thousand rather than in millions in the statement.

Jane Kennedy: The text of the written statement mirrored the presentation of the numbers in the table on page 3 of the 'Finalised awards, Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics 2006-07, Supplement on payments'.

HOME DEPARTMENT

101 Calls

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of telephone calls to the 101 number were per month in  (a) the Isle of Wight,  (b) Cardiff,  (c) Sheffield, (d) Leicester City and Rutland and  (e) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in the period of the pilots.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 6 May 2008
	The average number of telephone calls to the 101 number per month by partnership area over the period of the pilots were as follows:
	
		
			  Partnership  Average calls per month 
			  (a) Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 17,123 
			  (b) Cardiff 5,685 
			  (c) Sheffield 5,023 
			  (d) Leicester City and Rutland 3,924 
			  (e) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear 13,873 
		
	
	We do not have data for the Isle of Wight, as requested, as that area was included in the whole of the partnership which includes Hampshire. Also the Leicester City and Rutland partnership expanded to cover Melton and Harborough.

101 Calls

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 101 number in  (a) the Isle of Wight,  (b) Cardiff,  (c) Sheffield,  (d) Leicester City and Rutland and  (e) Northumberland and Tyne and Wear pilots.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 6 May 2008
	The evaluation of the five pilot areas found that the 101 service had successfully improved public access to and satisfaction in the community safety services in all areas. Through greater partnership working and better information from the public about what problems are happening where, the 101 service had helped local police and councils to target their resources more effectively and efficiently and improve the delivery of those services to the public.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females were arrested for alcohol-related offences in Buckingham constituency in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.

Asylum: Children

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to reimburse the outstanding costs incurred by local authorities in caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; and what plans she has to provide local authorities with 100 per cent. of their future funding to care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office provides a grant to local authorities for the provision of support to unaccompanied asylum seeking children aged under 18. All authorities have been fully funded up to national rates in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 for cases supported under the grant instructions. Those authorities on enhanced rates have also been fully funded up to their enhanced rate claim value for 2005-06 and 2006-07. In addition the authorities identified as gateways received 100 per cent. of special circumstances claimed for 2005-06 and 70 per cent. for 2006-07. The other authorities that claimed were awarded 82.5 per cent. and 38.5 per cent. of their claim respectively.
	All outstanding claims for 2007-08 are due from local authorities by 31 July 2008.
	There are no plans to increase funding levels for previous years, and the budget remains fixed for 2007-08. Discussions on this matter are on- going with representatives from the Local Government Association and London councils.
	In January 2008, we set out in the paper Better Outcomes: The Way Forwardimproving the Care of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (a copy of which is in the Library, DEP2008-0274) our plans to enter into new arrangements with selected local authorities who would become specialists in the care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. These new arrangements would simplify funding and mean that the specialist authorities receive payment in full for the services they provide.

Asylum: Grants

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates asylum seeker support grant instructions were issued to local authorities in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: Asylum grant instructions have been issued on the following dates to local authorities since 2001:
	
		
			   Instructions  Date  i ssued 
			 2001-2 Combined instructions for Adults and Families (AF) and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) 8 February 2002 
			 2002-3 A and F 1 May 2002 
			  UASC 13 June 2002 
			  UASC 31 December 2002 
			 2003-4 A and F 16 June 2003 
			  UASC 8 April 2004 
			 2004-5 Combined instructions for A and F / UASC 8 November 2004 
			 2005-6 Combined instructions for A and F / UASC 20 June 2005 
			 2006-7(1) UASC 4 May 2006 
			 2007-8(1) UASC 14 August 2007 
			 2008-9(1) Instructions yet to be issued  
			 (1) Interim provision for A and F ceased 6 April 2006, so no A and F grant instructions were issued for 2006-07 onwards.

Border UK Agency: Uniforms

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the  (a) design and  (b) manufacture and distribution of uniforms for the UK Border Agency.

Liam Byrne: We are not yet in a position to provide the cost of the design, manufacture and distribution of uniforms for the UK Border Agency. We are currently scoping the requirements for a single uniform for front-line officers. The costs will be dependent on the commercial and procurement solutions delivered.

Community Policing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which advertising agency her Department contracted to design the advertising campaign for neighbourhood policing teams; and what the value of that contract was.

Liam Byrne: The advertising agency that designed the neighbourhood policing ads that ran on March 31 2008 is M and C Saatchi.
	We have given the media costs of the campaign (in answer to PQ answered on 20 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 225-26W,) but the agency fee is commercially confidential.

Community Support Officers: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans she has to provide funding for police community support officers in North Yorkshire beyond the expiry of the original allocation period;
	(2)  for what period the initial funding allocated to police community support officers in North Yorkshire was provided.

Tony McNulty: In 2008-09, funding for neighbourhood policing, including PCSOs, in North Yorkshire is 3.2 million (2.7 per cent. more than in 2007-08) and we remain committed to providing this funding in each of the CSR years. The Home Office first provided funding for 30 police community support officers (PCSOs) in North Yorkshire in 2003-04. Continuation funding is still provided towards the cost of those PCSOs and for those recruited in subsequent years for which further PCSO allocations were made through the Neighbourhood Policing Fund.

Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal offences related to the misappropriation of proofs of identity have been  (a) reported and  (b) brought to trial in each of the last five years; in how many such prosecutions convictions were achieved; and what information has been collated on the number of victims of such crimes from answers to the new questions incorporated into the British Crime Survey in 2005 on such matters.

Jacqui Smith: In terms of recorded crime and court proceedings, statistics are not available in the form requested.
	The use of another person's identification details (or the use of false identification details), often referred to as identity theft, is not in itself an offence in law. It is the action that is undertaken, using those identification details, that needs to be considered in respect of whether an offence has occurred. As such no specific information is available.
	Most instances of 'Identity Theft' come to light when victim's details are used to obtain goods, services or money using credit arrangements or loans. Instances of this should be recorded under the new Home Office offence classifications 'Fraud by False Representation Other Fraud' or 'Obtaining Services Dishonestly'. These new offences were created following the introduction of the Fraud Act 2006 and were introduced into the recorded crime series with effect from April 2007.
	Where bank, credit card, or store card accounts are opened using identities to which the individuals are not entitled, and then used to commit fraud, then an offence of 'Fraud by False Representation Cheque, Plastic Card and Online Bank Accounts (NOT eBay or Pay Pal)' should be recorded.
	If there is no intent to commit fraud and there is evidence that an account has been created using a false, stolen or improperly obtained identity document contained within the Identity Cards Act 2006 then an offence under the new classification 'Possession of False Documents' should be recorded.
	Statistics for all the new recorded crime offence classifications referred to above will be available for 2007-08 and will be published in July 2008. Information on fraud and forgery offences recorded by the police using the old classifications is available in table 2.04 of 'Crime in England and Wales 2006/07'. The table can be accessed at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1107chap2.xls
	Equivalent data for court proceedings and cautions for fraud offences (under the old classifications) can be found in the Criminal Statistics England and Wales publication which can be accessed at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/crim-stats-2006-tag.pdf
	Tables 2.8 and 2.13 show prosecutions and crown court trials for fraud and forgery and table 3.16 shows convictions and cautions for fraud and forgery broken down by offence class.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 for the offences referred to above will not be available until the autumn of 2008.
	With regard to information collated by the British Crime Survey on victims of such crimes, according to the 2006-07 BCS, 2 per cent. of adults had experienced their personal details being used in the last year without their permission in one or more of the ways asked about. This proportion includes those who came to know about the identity fraud, but the true figure could be higher because some respondents may not have known about the deception.
	Detailed information from the 2005-06 BCS on ID fraud is contained in section 3.5 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/07 entitled 'Mobile phone theft, plastic card and identity fraud: Findings from the 2005/06 British Crime Survey'. A copy of this publication is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1007.pdf

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent evidence she has collated on the correlation between the level of crime and  (a) police numbers and  (b) police funding.

Tony McNulty: There is no simple relationship between levels of crime and police numbers, and police funding. I refer the hon. Member to the recent Government response to the Home Affairs CommitteeSecond Special Report, Session 2006-07, Appendix: Government Response in particular page 1, response after paragraph 2:
	..... crime is affected by a range of factors and it is therefore too crude simply to compare increases in police funding with changes in crime and then draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the police in reducing crime-not least because increases in policing and their visibility can in fact provide the public with more confidence to report more crime incidents. Current Home Office research shows that, when controlling for some of these factorsfor example changes in the economy, demography and social factorsincreases in police strength, visibility and focus have had a significant impact on reducing crime.
	A copy of the Government's response to the second report is available on the Parliament website on the following link:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmhaff/1092/109204.htm

Crime: Databases

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she expects the National Ballistics Intelligence Service Database, the National Firearms Register on the Police National Computer and the National Firearms Licensing Management System to be able to share data.

Tony McNulty: The potential requirements for the sharing of information between the National Ballistics Intelligence Service Database (NABIS) and the National Firearms Licensing Management System was examined, and discussed, in detail by key stakeholders (including forensic and investigatory professionals) throughout the lifetime of the project management process.
	It was found that the potential crossover between the data held by the systems was very small, due to the very low instances of legally held firearms being used in gun crime and the small overlap in information shared between the two applications. Furthermore, the data descriptors of 'firearms recovered at Scenes of Crime' and 'firearms being licensed' may be somewhat different and, as a result, inquiries would be passed from NABIS to expert firearms officers in the Licensing Departments. As a consequence, it was agreed that any risk of legally held firearms being used for criminal purposes was so low that given the difficulty of automating a matching process between systems, the cost of building such an interface would outweigh any perceived benefits.
	The NABIS system has been designed to accredited police corporate data model standards, which means that information sharing may be possible in the future providing that there is a business case to do so.

Departmental Film

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many films have been produced in  (a) video,  (b) DVD and  (c) other digital formats by her Department in the last two years; and at what cost.

Jacqui Smith: Film is used throughout the Home Office and its agencies for training purposes and to communicate with its staff. The number of films and costs is not information which is either centrally held or readily collated so could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent edition of her Department's staff handbook.

Jacqui Smith: I am arranging for a copy of the Home Office staff handbook to be placed in the Library.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) 0800,  (b) 0845 and  (c) 0870 telephone numbers for the public are in use by (i) her Department and (ii) agencies which report to her Department.

Liam Byrne: The following table outlines the 0845 and 0870 telephone numbers used by the Department and the agencies that report to it. There are no 0800 telephone numbers in use.
	
		
			  Number  Purpose  Type 
			 0870 521 0410 Passport advice line Phone 
			 0870 240 8090 Passport advice line (text phone service) Minicon 
			 0870 243 4477 Passport enquiries for High Street Partners Phone 
			 0870 243 1902 Passport complaints Phone 
			 0845 121 0046 Authentication by Interview (ABI) booking line Phone 
			 0845 603 7788 GRO Certificate Services Phone 
			 0870 125 1256 Siemens Business Services Query Letters Phone 
			 0870 909 0778 Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure dispute line Phone 
			 0870 909 0844 Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure application line Phone 
			 0870 909 0223 Criminal Records Bureau Welsh language line Phone 
			 0870 909 0344 Criminal Records Bureau Minicon 
			 0870 909 0811 Criminal Records Bureau general inquiries Phone 
			 0870 909 0822 Criminal Records Bureau registration information line Phone 
			 0870 241 4680 Home Office's mailing house, Prolog Phone 
			 0870 241 4786 Home Office's mailing house, Prolog Fax 
			 0870 220 2000 TOGETHER (advice line for practitioners on tackling antisocial behaviour) Phone 
			 0870 336 9031 Contact Private Office to Jacqui Smith Fax 
			 0870 336 9032 Contact Private Office to Lord West Fax 
			 0870 336 9033 Contact Private Office to Vernon Coaker Fax 
			 0870 336 9034 Contact Private Office to Liam Byrne Fax 
			 0870 336 9035 Contact Private Office to Tony McNulty Fax 
			 0870 336 9036 Contact Private Office to Meg Hillier Fax 
			 0870 336 9048 Contact Parliamentary Team Fax 
			 0870 336 9045 Contact Ministers' special advisers Fax 
			 0870 336 9041 Contact Private Office Management Support Unit Fax 
			 0870 336 9037 Contact Permanent Secretary's Office Fax 
			 0845 010 6677 UKBA Employers' Helpline Phone 
			 0845 039 8002 PROSPECTS helpline Phone 
			 0845 601 2298 UKBA Evidence and Enquiry line Phone 
			 0870 240 3781 Immigration Enquiry Bureau (enforcement and removalsrecorded message only) Phone 
			 0845 602 1739 Enquiries about asylum support applications Phone 
			 0870 606 7766 Immigration Enquiry Bureau Phone 
			 0870 241 0645 Requests for immigration application forms Phone 
			 0845 010 5200 Nationality telephone enquiries Phone 
			 0870 521 0224 UKBA Work Permits Literature order line Phone 
			 0845 600 0914 Asylum Support Customer Contact Centre Phone 
			 0870 241 6523 Enquiries about the work of the UKBA Complaints Unit and advice to callers about how to complain Phone 
			 0845 602 1465 UKBA MP's Hotline fax line Fax 
			 0845 601 1145 National Asylum Support fax line Fax 
			 0845 601 1143 National Asylum Support fax line Fax 
			 0845 609 0395 UKBA MP's Hotline Phone 
			 0845 601 1150 National Asylum Support Service/MP's Hotline Phone 
			 0845 010 5555 UK Visas (pre-recorded information line) Phone

Departmental Training

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on away days for staff in her Department in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on staff away days. To provide the requested detail would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of staff employed by her Department and its agencies had record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau before being made an offer of employment in each year since 2002.

Jacqui Smith: A Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check is primarily a requirement for posts that involve working with children and/or vulnerable adults. Home Office headquarters and the Criminal Records Bureau do not require staff to undergo CRB checks prior to being offered employment.
	The UK Border Agency have carried out 1,449 CRB checks in total for staff since 2002. A breakdown by year could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) only require staff within the Interview Office Network to undergo CRB checks. The network has been established over the past three years. The percentage of IPS staff employed who had CRB checks before being made an offer of employment in each year was as follows.
	
		
			   Percentage of staff 
			 2005-06 1.6 
			 2006-07 13.5 
			 2007-08 1.4

Departmental Written Questions

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Parliamentary Questions her Department declined to answer on grounds of  (a) disproportionate cost and  (b) information not held centrally in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: We are unable to provide the information in the format requested.

Detection Rates

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) detection rate and  (b) sanction detection rate of (i) recorded offences, (ii) offences of violence against the person, (iii) homicides and (iv) burglary for each police force was in each year since 1988.

Jacqui Smith: The available information is given in the tables placed in the House Library. Homicide detection rates for individual police forces are only available from 2000-01 onwards.
	Non-sanction detections that contribute to the overall detection rate have fallen in recent years reflecting a significant shift by many police forces away from recording detections of crime where no further action is taken. For this reason overall detection rates over time are not fully comparable. From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very limited set of circumstances.

Emergency Calls

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies she has conducted into the viability of a 999 text message service for use by members of the public.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department has not conducted such studies. Short Message Service (SMS) text is a store and forward medium with no guarantee of delivery, and in most cases the sender will not know whether a message has been received. This means that SMS text is not generally suitable for emergency calls.
	However, BERR officials, working with other Government Departments, the telecommunication service providers, the emergency services and representatives of deaf and other user organisations, have identified a technical solution for providing an emergency SMS text service for the deaf, and those with hearing or speech impairment. Technical development will be necessary before trials can be carried out. It is hoped that the work will be completed later this year. The service will provide an alternative option for those who routinely use SMS text and either do not use a text relay service or may be in a situation where it is not available.
	As SMS does not provide a real time service and cannot be a substitute for voice or text relay services, any emergency SMS service will only be available to those who have registered with the service and accept its limitations.

European Police Office: Finance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 120WS, on Europol, how much the UK contributes annually to the organisation's budget.

Jacqui Smith: Europol is funded by direct member state contributions on the basis of each country's gross domestic product. The amount of the contribution will vary year on year depending on both the agreed budget and taking account of the financial outturn at the end of each year. The United Kingdom's contributions for the six years 2002-07 are as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2002 7.8 
			 2003 9.1 
			 2004 9.2 
			 2005 8.8 
			 2006 7.4 
			 2007 8.4 
		
	
	The Europol budget for 2008 is 63.9 million and the maximum United Kingdom contributionassuming all the budget was called upwould be 9.65 million.

Firearms: Injuries

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people carrying replica firearms were  (a) injured and  (b) killed as a result of police action in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many people carrying replica guns were  (a) injured and  (b) killed by the police in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The collection of this information is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Gating Orders

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) gating orders have been made under the provision of section 129A of the Highways Act 1980 and  (b) public inquiries have been held into proposed gating orders when objections have been received from members of the public.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 May 2008
	 Details of the number of gating orders, granted for crime or antisocial behaviour purposes under section 129A of the Highways Act 1980 are collected by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and are provided in the table placed in the House Library. These orders came into force on 1 April 2006. Details of the number of public inquiries that have been held into proposed gating orders when objections have been received from members of the public are not collected centrally.

Genetics: Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA samples were stored on the national DNA database at the end of each year since the database was created.

Jacqui Smith: It is not possible to give the total number of profiles on the database at the end of each year, however, the table shows the number of profiles added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) by English and Welsh police forces in each year since its inception. The numbers cannot be added to give the total number of profiles on the NDNAD, as some profiles will have been removed throughout each year.
	It should be noted that the number of subject profiles held on the database is not the same as the number of individuals with a profile on the database. As it is possible for a profile to be loaded onto the NDNAD on more than one occasion, some profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. This can occur, for example, if the person provided different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests, or because profiles are upgraded.
	
		
			   Crime scene profiles added  Subject profiles added 
			 1995-96 1,872 32,999 
			 1996-97 5,022 78,899 
			 1997-98 12,546 123,200 
			 1998-99 12,720 227,624 
			 1999-2000 17,116 191,173 
			 2000-01 27,259 373,496 
			 2001-02 39,425 470,016 
			 2002-03 59,265 444,427 
			 2003-04 58,385 431,771 
			 2004-05 57,024 480,337 
			 2005-06 66,499 625,859 
			 2006-07 52,763 667,747 
			 2007-08 48,055 541 ,920

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes with a DNA match to the Scottish DNA database resulted in  (a) prosecution and  (b) conviction in each year since 1998.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office does not hold the information requested as this is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes with a DNA match to the Scottish DNA database resulted in  (a) a direct and  (b) an indirect police detection in England and Wales in each year since 1998.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office does not hold the information requested as this is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the cost was of removing DNA samples from the National DNA database in each year since 1995;
	(2)  what the cost was of removing one individual's DNA sample from the National DNA database in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 15 May 2008
	Decisions on the removal of DNA profiles from the National DNA Database (NDNAD), and the destruction of the DNA sample, rest with the chief officer of the police force which took the sample. The chief officer may consult the Association of Chief Police Officers Criminal Record Office (ACPO CRO), a specialist unit which provides advice on the removal of DNA and fingerprint records, before making a decision. If a chief officer decides that a DNA profile should be removed from the NDNAD, they will instruct the NDNAD Custodian that the profile be removed and the DNA sample destroyed.
	There will be some associated costs arising for the police force which took the sample; for the ACPO CRO, if the request is referred to them for advice; for the NDNAD; and for the forensic supplier laboratory where the sample is stored. It is not possible to disaggregate the costs of removing profiles and samples from general NDNAD service delivery costs or the general administrative costs of the other organisations involved.

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost was of retaining one individual DNA sample on the National DNA database in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 15 May 2008
	A DNA sample is biological material containing cells with a person's DNA, whereas a DNA profile is a numerical sequence stored on the NDNAD, which is an information technology system. A subject sample is taken from an arrested person, usually by means of a swab which picks up cells from the inside of the cheek. A crime scene sample is one retrieved from material at a crime scene, for example blood, semen or saliva. A DNA sample is analysed to produce a DNA profile by an accredited supplier of forensic science services. A DNA profile is a numerical sequence, representing part of the DNA in the sample, which can be entered on the National DNA Database.
	The costs of processing, and retaining, DNA samples fall to individual police forces. They vary depending on the contractual relationship between the police force and the forensic supplier, which is commercially confidential.
	The cost of retaining DMA profiles is the cost of running the NDNAD Information Technology system. In the most recent year for which figures are available, 2006-07, this was 2,041,743. Dividing this figure by the number of subject and crime scene profiles held gives an average cost per profile of 45 pence for that year.

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes with a DNA match to records in the Scottish DNA Database there were in Scotland in each year since 1998.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 15 May 2008
	The Home Office does not hold the information requested as this is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

Genetics: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many DNA profiles were on the national DNA database at the end of each financial year since 1994;
	(2)  how many individual DNA profiles were  (a) added to and  (b) removed from the national DNA database in each (i) month and (ii) financial year since 1994;

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 16 May 2008
	It is not possible to give the total number of profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) at the end of each year, however, the table gives the number of profiles added to the NDNAD by English and Welsh police forces in each year since its inception. The numbers cannot be added to give the total number of profiles on the NDNAD, as some profiles will have been removed throughout each year.
	It should be noted that the number of subject profiles held on the NDNAD is not the same as the number of individuals with a profile on the database. As it is possible for a profile to be loaded onto the NDNAD on more than one occasion, some profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates. This can occur, for example, if the person provided different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests, or because profiles are upgraded.
	For figures on the number of removals from the NDNAD, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley) on 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 455W.
	
		
			   Crime scene profiles added  Subject profiles added 
			 1995-96 1,872 32,999 
			 1996-97 5,022 78,899 
			 1997-98 12,546 123,200 
			 1998-99 12,720 227,624 
			 1999-2000 17,116 191,173 
			 2000-01 27,259 373,496 
			 2001-02 39,425 470,016 
			 2002-03 59,265 444,427 
			 2003-04 58,385 431,771 
			 2004-05 57,024 480,337 
			 2005-06 66,499 625,859 
			 2006-07 52,763 667,747 
			 2007-08 48,055 541,920

Identity Cards

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) foreign nationals and  (b) British citizens will be required to carry identity cards on their person.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 19 May 2008
	There will be no requirement to carry identity cards on the person.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures her Department has in place for processing suspected illegal immigrants when the immigration detention estate is unable to provide accommodation.

Liam Byrne: If the immigration detention estate is unable to provide accommodation, alternatives to detention are considered for those who are liable to detention. This includes reporting conditions which restricts an individual's place of residence, employment or occupation, physically reporting to a police or an immigration reporting centre and electronic monitoring.
	Electronic monitoring currently takes two forms: telephone reporting, using voice recognition techniques, and tagging. These are used, in combination with face to face contact at immigration reporting centres, to improve compliance with the requirements the UK Border Agency places on people to remain in contact.
	Further information on detention and alternatives to detention can be found in chapter 55 of the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance available to view at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/enforcement/detentionandremovals/

Illegal Immigrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is given to police forces in England and Wales on managing illegal immigrants; how many illegal immigrants were released by police in England and Wales and directed towards the nearest immigration centre in  (a) the last year for which figures are available and  (b) each of the previous 10 years; what estimate she has made of the number of illegal immigrants released by police in England and Wales and sent to an immigration centre who then failed to attend in each year; and how many illegal immigrants were detained by police forces in England and Wales in each year.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) works in partnership with the police with whom they have agreements in place on handling illegal immigrants. Following arrest, the UKBA are committed to responding to all confirmed drops of illegal immigrants as a matter of priority.
	Information on the number of illegal immigrants released and detained by the police in England and Wales is not collated centrally and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Housing

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 804W, on immigration: housing, what conditions are attached to tenancies created by the transfer of existing properties to the private rented market; what requirements there are on private sector providers who undertake such tenancies; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 March 2008
	The conditions attached to tenancies created by the transfer of properties to the private rented sector is a contractual matter between a private sector provider and the local authority concerned and is commercial in confidence.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter of 28 February 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton, with regard to Mr. Floyd B. Smith.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 28 April 2008.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 9 April 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Ms R. Hughes.

Jacqui Smith: A reply was sent on 20 May 2008.

Migration: Statistics

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to improve her Department's information and data on  (a) gross and net flows of immigration and  (b) the geographical distribution of the immigrant population.

Tom Watson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 2 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what steps will be taken to improve information on the flows and the geographical distribution of international migration. (206846)
	Much work has already been carried out to improve these statistics. The sample size of the International Passenger Survey was increased to collect more information on the flows of emigrants. Improvements to the methodology used for distributing migrants to the local authority level in the mid year population estimates were implemented (based principally on use of household and port survey sources in combination at regional level and IPS questions on length of stay). These changes were implemented in the mid-2006 population estimates issued in August 2007 and were used to revise previously published estimates for 2002 to 2005. They also fed into subsequent ONS population and labour market statistics (e.g. 2006-based National Population Projections, 2006-based Subnational Population Projections to be published in June 2008 and Labour Force survey reweightings issued in May 2008).
	On 4 February 2008, the Minister for Local Government announced to the House that a cross-Government programme would be put in place to improve population and migration statistics, driven by senior officials from central Government and the Local Government Association, and led by the National Statistician. It will take forward the recommendations of the 2006 interdepartmental Task Force on Migration Statistics.
	A specific objective of the work programme relates to gaining better information on migrants as they enter or leave the country, and therefore making improvements to gross and net migration flows. This work includes:
	improvements to port surveys to ensure they are more focussed on collecting migration information, cover more emigrant flows, and involve more of the ports that migrants typically arrive at or depart from,
	a longer term aim of using data from the new e-borders programme (and other controlled migration systems) that will collect detailed administrative data on migrants.
	The programme also includes research relating to improving the geographic distribution of migration within the UK, for example:
	improving the statistical methodology of population estimation to take into account administrative sources that provide a more timely picture of the distribution of migrant populations than the 2001 Census,
	developing methods for sharing key administrative data sources such as the Department for Work and Pensions data on benefits and the Department for Children, Schools and Families Schools Census data,
	developing new and timely indicators of the impact of migration at the local level.
	This is high priority work for the ONS and other government departments and is being progressed with due pace.

Missing Persons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people reported missing were subsequently found to have been missing as a result of  (a) abduction and  (b) being the victim of another criminal offence in each year since 1997; and how many of these were not found until their death.

Jacqui Smith: Statistics on the number and circumstances of people who are reported missing are not collected centrally. Research has shown that the vast majority of missing persons return safely soon after going missing and the overall proportion of missing persons who are found to have been the victim of homicide is very low.
	Figures on child abduction are collated by the Home Office and the figures for the last five years are given in the following table. It is not possible, however, to correlate these with the overall number of missing people.
	
		
			   Number of abductions (including attempts) 
			 2002-03 846 
			 2003-04 930 
			 2004-05 1,035 
			 2005-06 919 
			 2006-07 697 
		
	
	Of those people that go missing, it is not possible to determine how many are victims of other crimes. The Children's Society report Stepping Up: The Future of Runaways Services August 2007 explains the risks faced by young people who go missing. The Parents and Abducted Children Together (PACT) report entitled Every Five Minutes also includes an overview of the risks faced by children who go missing.
	The national Missing Persons Bureau (MPB) will seek to develop national information to support local police operations. One of the priorities for the MPB is to carry out a strategic assessment on the missing person phenomenon and to produce a problem profile, thereby establishing a baseline on which to formulate, develop and measure future policy initiatives in close consultation with the missing persons Strategic Oversight Group.

Money Laundering

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the recommendations of the SARS review published by Sir Stephen Lander in March 2006 have been implemented.

Jacqui Smith: The first Annual Report of the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) Regime, published on 28 November 2007, gives an account of progress made against the recommendations of Sir Stephen Lander's Review by regime participants. The Financial Intelligence Unit, located within the Serious Organised Crime Agency, successfully addressed all 24 recommendations.

Offenders: Deportation

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2341W, on offenders: deportation, how many of the 250 sentence-expired foreign prisoners from countries where difficulties arise in enforcing removal had been serving a sentence for an offence of a violent or sexual nature; and how many have been detained under immigration powers following the expiry of their sentence for more than  (a) 12 months,  (b) two years and  (c) three years.

Liam Byrne: Centrally collated information for foreign national prisoners where deportation action or removal is being pursued will only list the latest offence. It would be necessary to examine individual case files to ascertain whether the individual has previously been convicted of violent or sexual offences, which could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the UK Border Agency advised the Home Affairs Committee in her letter of 18 February that all of the 250 foreign national prisoners that are detained awaiting deportation action and are from countries where there are difficulties in enforcing removal have been detained under immigration powers for nine months or more. The longest any individual has been detained under immigration legislation powers is around two years.

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an assessment of the armed protection that will need to be provided for participants and other visitors during the London Olympic Games; and what estimate has been made of the cost of such provision.

Jacqui Smith: The development of the Olympic Security Programme is led by the Olympic Security Directorate, located within the Metropolitan Police Service, but reporting functionally to the Home Office Olympic Security Director. Protective security, including the consideration of armed protection requirements, is a key part of the planning process that is being undertaken. Any such requirements will be subject to the delivery and approval of a costed security plan being prepared by the Olympic Security Directorate. Provision will be met from within the maximum funding envelope of 600 million.
	However, we do not comment upon protective security arrangements and their associated costs for categories of individuals as to do so could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect security of those concerned.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 972-4W, on police, if she will update the information in the answer with the most recent figures.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Police precept (Band D) by force 1997-98 to 2008-09 
			   
			  Force  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Avon and Somerset 52.04 54.86 60.62 67.59 72.66 83.40 111.64 125.09 131.34 137.84 147.17 154.32 
			 Bedfordshire 52.51 55.84 61.36 66.98 70.26 78.69 93.44 107.17 111.98 117.55 123.43 135.28 
			 Cambridgeshire 51.03 48.24 52.11 62.46 68.04 94.59 113.31 129.33 135.54 142.29 149.40 156.87 
			 Cheshire 51.16 53.86 56.28 61.06 64.66 73.54 88.10 97.71 102.60 108.49 116.03 135.75 
			 Cleveland 54.87 48.43 62.55 65.58 69.51 96.13 120.22 136.84 143.68 150.72 158.10 173.87 
			 Cumbria 58.20 72.35 78.27 84.23 90.60 100.48 130.71 150.28 155.43 163.08 171.09 179.46 
			 Derbyshire 51.31 57.30 65.85 71.12 75.38 91.96 111.77 122.88 129.02 135.15 141.91 148.44 
			 Devon and Cornwall 49.79 48.30 53.52 58.87 61.81 73.80 103.27 113.39 119.62 125.53 131.73 142.19 
			 Dorset 63.59 70.61 77.13 84.42 92.25 103.50 123.39 135.36 142.11 149.13 156.51 164.25 
			 Durham 52.20 48.60 50.40 52.65 56.43 64.44 79.56 91.53 96.03 100.80 135.72 142.47 
			 Essex 54.09 62.28 65.07 67.95 71.01 77.67 92.97 99.27 104.76 110.97 116.46 122.22 
			 Gloucestershire 51.17 57.74 68.90 77.98 82.05 94.01 142.59 156.71 162.90 170.96 179.49 188.45 
			 Hampshire 51.75 50.13 53.91 55.08 59.04 75.15 97.29 108.36 113.76 119.43 125.37 135.54 
			 Hertfordshire 51.51 58.83 63.54 67.99 72.39 81.01 98.28 112.53 118.09 123.98 130.17 136.67 
			 Humberside 52.47 52.47 54.81 60.30 85.77 95.40 113.04 129.96 135.72 142.47 149.58 156.31 
			 Kent 51.59 48.41 52.48 55.73 60.26 73.64 94.95 105.66 110.88 116.37 122.18 128.25 
			 Lancashire 53.25 53.41 57.69 62.60 67.89 73.86 87.57 100.70 107.72 113.09 125.95 135.96 
			 Leicestershire 52.26 61.21 63.79 67.80 75.52 95.21 104.77 120.11 126.04 132.33 138.96 160.40 
			 Lincolnshire 69.03 78.93 81.99 86.49 90.36 94.86 104.40 112.23 119.43 125.37 131.58 235.35 
			 Norfolk 50.58 53.64 64.35 72.09 83.61 100.35 121.95 138.69 145.53 154.17 164.88 178.56 
			 Northamptonshire 70.56 69.29 76.08 79.65 83.00 105.25 130.09 149.43 154.41 162.11 170.21 178.62 
			 North Yorkshire 49.72 48.46 52.20 57.04 62.59 88.59 156.00 171.50 176.00 180.00 185.40 193.37 
			 Nottinghamshire 49.78 54.32 61.55 65.17 70.17 85.17 109.30 120.12 126.01 132.24 138.78 145.62 
			 Staffordshire 54.74 72.42 78.86 83.43 94.37 100.93 126.50 138.44 145.28 152.53 160.15 166.16 
			 Suffolk 51.39 52.38 56.16 61.11 67.14 82.08 109.35 119.70 125.01 130.86 137.34 149.67 
			 Surrey 44.64 66.06 75.24 79.41 83.08 96.44 135.09 147.06 154.26 163.26 171.27 187.92 
			 Sussex 51.66 50.94 53.19 55.53 59.13 69.84 97.74 105.12 110.25 115.74 122.67 128.70 
			 Thames Valley 52.79 50.76 56.53 60.34 64.49 73.49 106.24 120.51 126.28 132.58 139.19 144.76 
			 Warwickshire 52.24 62.09 71.18 77.57 85.17 101.78 117.30 126.55 132.52 138.95 145.90 164.68 
			 West Mercia 50.87 53.64 59.00 74.06 78.50 104.50 119.80 137.69 143.17 150.24 157.66 165.45 
			 Wiltshire 55.22 62.77 68.98 75.84 83.26 91.54 109.68 120.63 126.63 132.84 139.35 145.34 
			 Total Shires 52.79 56.00 61.24 66.41 71.85 84.78 108.71 121.12 126.97 133.31 140.94 152.03 
			  
			 Greater Manchester 54.10 56.28 60.22 62.72 64.66 68.86 91.65 98.52 105.41 110.67 116.19 124.90 
			 Merseyside 66.87 71.78 77.44 81.31 85.37 94.76 101.54 110.17 115.68 121.46 127.53 133.91 
			 Northumbria 52.73 47.67 49.82 52.06 55.65 58.15 63.80 66.93 70.03 71.78 74.62 78.27 
			 South Yorkshire 53.29 54.28 56.72 59.26 62.79 74.09 94.30 102.79 107.88 113.27 118.92 124.56 
			 West Midlands 53.20 48.99 51.19 54.77 57.21 61.88 71.16 80.08 83.68 87.55 91.47 94.67 
			 West Yorkshire 53.17 52.41 54.76 58.73 60.82 75.92 88.81 102.06 107.05 112.40 118.02 123.62 
			 Total Mets 55.05 54.52 57.59 60.76 63.50 71.06 84.50 92.98 97.94 102.56 107.48 113.06 
			  
			 Total England (Exc London) 53.34 55.65 60.37 65.09 69.90 81.57 103.07 114.60 120.25 126.20 133.22 143.05 
			  
			 Metropolitan 63.27 76.48 82.51 90.95 118.85 130.59 159.13 184.08 196.28 210.82 223.60 227.02 
			  
			 Total England (Inc London) 55.09 59.32 64.26 69.30 77.80 89.52 112.16 125.91 132.62 139.97 147.90 156.69 
			  
			 Dyfed-Powys 48.42 59.58 72.99 85.41 90.90 98.10 124.11 142.65 143.10 150.21 157.68 165.51 
			 Gwent 49.10 54.36 59.74 74.97 84.03 95.17 119.11 139.13 145.07 152.32 159.94 167.14 
			 North Wales 48.52 58.54 66.33 78.49 82.72 96.53 126.94 151.57 158.94 166.89 178.16 186.18 
			 South Wales 49.22 56.25 65.36 80.42 85.57 89.85 103.51 115.71 120.40 126.42 132.74 139.38 
			 Total Wales 48.89 57.03 65.91 79.84 85.54 93.87 115.60 133.34 138.22 145.07 153.03 160.32 
			  
			 Total England and Wales 54.74 59.19 64.36 69.89 78.24 89.77 112.36 126.33 132.95 140.28 148.21 156.91 
			  Sources: English Police Authorities  DCLG Welsh Police Authorities - WAG

Police Associations: Finance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what funding the  (a) Gay Police Association,  (b) National Black Police Association and  (c) Christian Police Association received from her Department in each of the last five years;
	(2)  whether  (a) the Gay Police Association,  (b) the National Black Police Association and  (c) the Christian Police Association received funding from her Department in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The following table sets out the funding paid to the national Gay Police Association (GPA) and National Black Police Association (NBPA) in each of the last five years. The Christian Police Association (CPA) has not requested any funding.
	
		
			   
			   DSSA 
			   (a) GPA  (b) NBPA 
			 2003-04 57,416.25 74,339.39 
			 2004-05 74,035.00 123,638.00 
			 2005-06 120,480.00 198,083.50 
			 2006-07 107,000.00 180,000.98 
			 2007-08 100,000.00 89,349.73

Police: Business Interests

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers added information to the Business Interests Register in each year since 2002, broken down by  (a) police force,  (b) rank and  (c) business type.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 9 May 2008
	Section 7 of the Police Regulations 2003 requires that police officers give written notice of any business interest to the chief officer or, in the case of chief officers, the police authority. Information on the number of officers who do so, their rank and the type of business is not collected centrally.

Police: Consultants

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid to outside consultants for the implementation and management of the activity-based costing scheme for the police in each financial year since 2004-05.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not pay any outside consultants for the implementation and management of the activity-based costing scheme for the police. Police forces are individually responsible for any costs incurred.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) proportion of ethnic minorities in the population of each police force area,  (b) proportion of ethnic minority police officers in each police force and  (c) proportion of ethnic minority police officers of each rank in each police force was on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The requested information is not available. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) mid-year population estimates are used to calculate police officer rates per hundred thousand residents. The data used to calculate these populations by police force area do not contain details of ethnicity. Further information about Home Office use of ONS data can be found on:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/population_stats.html
	In 1999, my then predecessor published a 10-year target relating to the achievement of a representative workforce. The targets for the police service were based on Labour Force Survey data from 1996 to 1998 and reflected the number of economically active ethnic minority individuals aged between 18 and 54. These targets are given in Table 17 of the latest annual publication which can be found on:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/race-equality-targets-2006-07
	 (b), (c) The requested information can be found in Table 7 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Police Service Strength, England and Wales, 31 March 2007. The bulletin can be found in the House Libraries or on:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1307.pdf

Police: Finance

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average police precept on Band D council tax bills was in  (a) England and  (b) Cheshire in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average police precept band D council tax 1997-98 to 2008-09 
			   Cheshire  England (including London) 
			 1997-98 51.16 55.09 
			 1998-99 53.86 59.32 
			 1999-2000 56.28 64.26 
			 2000-01 61.06 67.68 
			 2001-02 64.66 77.80 
			 2002-03 73.54 89.52 
			 2003-04 88.10 112.16 
			 2004-05 97.71 125.91 
			 2005-06 102.60 132.62 
			 2006-07 108.49 139.97 
			 2007-08 116.03 147.90 
			 2008-09 135.75 156.69

Police: Recruitment

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of national police recruitment campaigning was in each of the last five years in each police force area, broken down by main budget heading; and what resources were allocated to such campaigning for each year.

Tony McNulty: Central media spending for police officers, special constables and the Higher Potential Development Scheme over the past five years is given in the following table.
	We do not collect data on media spending by individual forces.
	
		
			   Spend ( million) 
			 2006-07 4.11 
			 2005-06 1.65 
			 2004-05 2 
			 2003-04 4.98 
			 2002-03 4.73

Police: Recruitment

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of police officers were not confirmed in their appointment at the end of the two year probationary period in each of the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: This information is a matter for each constabulary.

Police: Crime Detection Rates

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime detection rates were in each police authority in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The available information relates to police force areas and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 768-70W.

Ports: Automatic Number Plate Recognition

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 29th April 2008,  Official Report, column 275W, on ports: automatic number plate recognition, whether there are automatic number plate recognition cameras in operation at British ports.

Vernon Coaker: Automatic number plate recognition has proved to be an effective technology used by the police and other law enforcement agencies in combating serious and organised crime and terrorism. It is utilised at strategic locations nationally, including ports and airports, although for reasons of operational security, it is not possible to identify either the level of coverage or the specific ports at which it is currently deployed.

Proceeds of Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been seized by the UK Financial Intelligence Unit since the Serious Organised Crime Agency assumed responsibility for the unit in April 2006.

Jacqui Smith: The UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) receives and analyses Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) concerning suspected proceeds of crime and terrorist financing and makes them available to law enforcement for appropriate action.
	It is not involved in asset recovery.

Road Traffic Offences

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers  (a) the police and  (b) other authorities have to deal with unsolicited car windscreen washers; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Police and local authorities have available a range of measures to deal with antisocial behaviour, including the nuisance caused by unsolicited car windscreen washers. The measures are usually employed incrementally and it is important that they should be proportionate to the behaviour concerned. Among the available measures normally used for low-level antisocial behaviour are warnings, acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs), and injunctions. For more serious cases, antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) may be used. In addition, the police have powers to disperse groups of two or more where their presence or behaviour has resulted, or is likely to result, in a member of the public being harassed, intimidated, alarmed or distressed. These could be used where more than one person is engaged in unsolicited windscreen washing in a particular location.

Stop and Search

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were recorded as being searched under the powers of stop and search in each of the last five years; and of those, how many were subsequently arrested for carrying  (a) knives and  (b) firearms in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) the North East, (iv) Tees Valley district and (v) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Vernon Coaker: The available information held by the Ministry of Justice is given in the following table. Data collected centrally are available at police force level only.
	
		
			  Total searches of persons under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and other legislation( 1) , section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and sections 44(1)  44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000, and resultant arrests, by area, from 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   England  London( 2)  North  East Region( 3) 
			   Total searches of persons  Arrests for offensive weapons  Arrests for firearms  Total searches of persons  Arrests for offensive weapons  Arrests for firearms  Total searches of persons  Arrests for offensive weapons  Arrests for firearms 
			 2001-02 694,947 7,956 869 213,534 3,539 374 75,365 403 24 
			 2002-03 886,510 9,207 996 293,904 3,621 394 74,958 431 43 
			 2003-04 765,183 8,019 876 259,739 2,721 270 38,029 471 31 
			 2004-05 881,057 9,344 1,382 274,883 2,679 348 48,980 875 43 
			 2005-06 915,584 9,515 1,336 323,444 3,487 462 51,224 655 43 
			 (1) Total searches includes searches under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Firearms Act 1968; also included are: other legislation which relates to searches under other powers, such as under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 s15 (which since 19 February 2001 has been replaced by section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000); various poaching and wildlife conservation legislation; the Aviation Security Act 1982, s27(1); the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, s163 and 164; and the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol, etc) Act 1985. (2 )Includes City of London and Metropolitan police. (3 )Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria.  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Taxis

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on taxis by her Department in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management and Ministerial Codes.
	The Home Office spend on taxis for financial years 1997-98 to 2007-08 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 1997-98 0.03 
			 1998-99 0.04 
			 1999-2000 0.05 
			 2000-01 0.09 
			 2001-02 0.24 
			 2002-03 0.36 
			 2003-04 0.43 
			 2004-05 0.65 
			 2005-06 0.81 
			 2006-07 0.96 
			 2007-08 0.90 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures include expenditure by the core Home Office, the UK Border Agency, the National Offender Management Service and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (the latter two transferred to the Ministry of Justice in 2007).

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the conclusions of the Carlile Review of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy will be published.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 13 May 2008
	We received Lord Carlile's report on the operation in 2007 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on 12 May. We will arrange for its publication as soon as practicable.

Terrorism: Detainees

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences since 1 August 2007 have been detained for 14 days or longer before being charged or released.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 May 2008
	Since 1 August 2007 no individuals have been detained for 14 days or longer.
	However, from 20 January 2004 to date, 11 individuals have been held for over 14 days pre-charge detention, six individuals were held for the maximum 27-28 days, of which three individuals were charged, and three individuals were released without charge.
	Nine out of the 11 individuals were arrested in August 2006 following Operation Overt, the disruption of an alleged plot to target aircraft. This led to six individuals being charged, and three were released. One individual was charged on the 27-28 day of detention following his arrest in a counterterrorist operation led by Greater Manchester police in August 2006.
	One individual was charged on the 18-19 day of detention following his arrest in relation to the incidents in London and Glasgow in June-July 2007.
	The statistics are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Period of detention  Number of persons held  Charged  Released without charge 
			 14 to 15 days 1 1  
			 18 to 19 days 1 1  
			 19 to 20 days 3 3  
			 27 to 28 days 6 3 3

Terrorism: Internet

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted for terrorism offences specifically involving the internet in the last 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: Statistics on the number of convictions under terrorism legislation are available on the Home Office website. Figures are compiled from police records and are not broken down in the format requested.
	The number of individuals convicted since 1979 under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976 is available on the Home Office website in Statistics on the Operation of the Prevention of Terrorism Legislation, Great Britain at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbarchive.htm.
	This publication details detentions under this Act and outcomes including statistics on individuals found guilty under this and other legislation.
	The Terrorism Act 2000 came into force on 19 February 2001. Statistics from 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2007 are available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/?view=Standard.
	For this period, there were 41 Terrorism Act convictions and 183 convictions under other legislation.
	In addition to the above, statistics on the number of convictions in significant terrorist cases are collated for 2007 and 2008. In 2007, 37 individuals were convicted in 15 significant terrorist cases. 21 of those individuals pleaded guilty. So far in 2008, 28 people have been convicted in eight significant terrorist cases. Of these 28, 11 individuals pleaded guilty. Figures are subject to change as cases go through the system.

Unfair Practices: Sales Methods

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had on cooperation to tackle boiler room fraud with her counterparts in  (a) the United States,  (b) Ireland,  (c) Hong Kong,  (d) Singapore,  (e) Gibraltar,  (f) Canada,  (g) Belize,  (h) Nevis,  (i) Cyprus,  (j) Tanzania,  (k) Lebanon,  (l) Latvia and  (m) Spain.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 May 2008
	I have had no discussions on boiler room fraud with counterparts in these countries; however, I visited the City of London Police Economic Crime Department in July last year to discuss a number of fraud related issues, including their work on boiler room fraud. I am aware that the force, which has taken a proactive lead in investigating boiler room fraud, enjoys a productive working relationship with law enforcement and other agencies in these countries.

Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau in each year since 2002 had comments from chief police officers on otherwise clean reports, broken down by police force area.

Jacqui Smith: The CRB does not collate data on the number of disclosures which contain comments from chief police officers but which do not contain any data from the Police National Computer (PNC), Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) or Department of Health (DoH).
	The CRB does collate the overall number of records checks completed by the police which result in comments from chief police officers being released.
	Comments from chief police officers can be revealed on the face of a disclosure as approved information or in rare cases sent separately directly to the registered body as additional information.
	The overall number and proportion of records checks conducted by the police forces which resulted in such information being released in each year for which records are available can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Volume of approved/additional information as percentage of total police checks 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Total volume of police checks 2,752,962 3,054,266 3,468,417 4,043,003 4,252,152 
			 Volume of checks where information released 10,423 11,726 18,146 17,673 21,710 
			 Percentage of total 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 
			  Note: It should be noted that only the figures for the last two years include additional information. However, the numbers of checks which resulted in additional information being released is very small, making up less than 1 per cent. of the combined approved and additional figure for 2007-08. 
		
	
	The number of records checks completed by the police forces is not the same as the number of disclosures issued because several forces may conduct checks in order to produce one disclosure and more than one force may release approved or additional information.
	The following tables show the figures broken down by police force area.
	
		
			  Volume of approved/additional information as percentage of police checks completed by each force 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Force  Volume  Checks  Percentage  Volume  Checks  Percentage  Volume  Checks  Percentage 
			 Avon and Somerset 119 82,843 0.1 128 82,377 0.2 316 103,919 0.3 
			 Bedfordshire 58 30,846 0.2 155 36,934 0.4 227 43,265 0.5 
			 British Transport Police  
			 Cambridgeshire 51 36,015 0.1 152 51,146 0.3 209 54,387 0.4 
			 Cheshire 180 53,486 0.3 261 56,334 0.5 567 63,772 0.9 
			 City of London 7 94 7.4 9 294 3.1 6 1,464 0.4 
			 Cleveland 179 25 729 0.7 282 28,597 1.0 324 29,457 1.1 
			 Cumbria 518 24,620 2.1 336 25,317 1.3 789 26,332 3.0 
			 Derbyshire 103 45,504 0.2 234 47,709 0.5 300 54,541 0.6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 184 86,648 0.2 312 85,565 0.4 687 106,105 0.6 
			 Dorset 141 38,953 0.4 24 45,010 0.1 45 51,109 0.1 
			 Durham 302 28,740 1.1 355 31,127 1.1 408 36,479 1.1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 14 24,183 0.1 45 28,287 0.2 113 32,620 0.3 
			 Essex 186 79,072 0.2 98 94,704 0.1 211 99,021 0.2 
			 Gloucester 60 29,054 0.2 73 31,436 0.2 141 35,903 0.4 
			 Greater Manchester 977 125,874 0.8 2,077 141,297 1.5 1,840 157,844 1.2 
			 Guernsey 11 637 1.7 11 702 1.6 5 886 0.6 
			 Gwent 116 25,928 0.4 62 27,698 0.2 104 28,445 0.4 
			 Hampshire 132 98,061 0.1 129 105,969 0.1 195 116,322 0.2 
			 Hertfordshire 70 60,518 0.1 83 68,826 0.1 181 69,581 0.3 
			 Humberside 83 41,507 0.2 204 49,413 0.4 259 56,084 0.5 
			 Isle of Man 8 770 1.0 17 1,029 1.7 8 1,368 0.6 
			 Jersey 3 83 3.6 5 799 06 5 1,671 0.3 
			 Kent 480 83,353 0.6 663 83,655 08 835 97,491 0.9 
			 Lancashire 195 79,847 0.2 170 86,188 0.2 313 97,544 0.3 
			 Leicestershire 295 41,197 0.7 36 47,434 0.1 201 58,698 0.3 
			 Lincolnshire 44 38,536 0.1 26 57,113 0.0 20 65,541 0.0 
			 Merseyside 217 72,721 0.3 211 81,113 0.3 185 93,024 0.2 
			 Metropolitan 1,148 427,076 0.3 984 458,094 0.2 2,100 534,128 0.4 
			 MOD and PGA  
			 Norfolk 306 34,344 0.9 149 40,965 0.4 285 47,001 0.6 
			 North Wales 311 32,665 1.0 343 38,923 0.9 240 46,234 0.5 
			 North Yorkshire 178 39,419 0.5 324 45,232 0.7 735 54,396 1.4 
			 Northamptonshire 312 36,335 0.9 222 38,450 0.6 389 47,472 0.8 
			 Northumbria 311 68,617 0.5 71 71,417 0.1 236 81,652 0.3 
			 Nottinghamshire 305 46,951 0.6 453 50,008 0.9 505 58,340 0.9 
			 PSNI 117 6,077 1.9 275 6,975 3.9 345 8,386 4.1 
			 Royal Military Police  
			 Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency  
			 SCRO 615 22,312 2.8 789 25,385 3.1 956 28,368 3.4 
			 South Wales 29 49,849 0.1 31 62,005 0.0 48 67,398 0.1 
			 South Yorkshire 70 53,620 0.1 130 60,056 0.2 249 67,739 0.4 
			 Staffordshire 71 50,618 0 1 249 55,983 0.4 632 59,551 1.1 
			 Suffolk 376 32,690 1.2 308 34,813 0.9 247 42,002 0.6 
			 Surrey 115 70,727 0.2 155 76,392 0.2 160 75,400 0.2 
			 Sussex 93 80,161 0.1 98 85,410 0.1 121 93,118 0.1 
			 Thames Valley 363 108,775 0.3 71 121,033 0.1 215 152,135 0.1 
			 UK Central Authority 0 0
			 Warwickshire 62 24,297 0.3 67 27,083 0.2 94 32,898 0.3 
			 West Mercia 97 66,878 0.1 218 71,554 0.3 479 82,526 0.6 
			 West Midlands 360 122,960 0.3 330 144,239 0.2 809 142,695 0.6 
			 West Yorkshire 380 94,478 0.4 192 113,137 0.2 639 124,110 05 
			 Wiltshire 71 29,294 0.2 109 31,039 0.4 168 39,995 0.4 
			   
			 Grand total 10,423 2,752,962 0.4 11,726 3,054,266 0.4 18,146 3,468,417 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-2008 
			  Force  Volume  Checks  Percentage  Volume  Checks  Percentage 
			 Avon and Somerset 269 112,091 0.2 291 122,440 0.2 
			 Bedfordshire 245 47,930 0.5 321 49,261 0.7 
			 British Transport Police 21 11,364 0.2 68 27,338 0.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 195 64,443 0.3 300 62,161 0.5 
			 Cheshire 370 71,977 0.5 645 80,312 0.8 
			 City of London 20 2,221 0.9 33 2,946 1.1 
			 Cleveland 426 38,653 1.1 594 39,573 1.5 
			 Cumbria 313 33,144 0.9 249 31,871 0.8 
			 Derbyshire 333 64,764 0.5 406 71,080 0.6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 719 119,876 0.6 840 131,682 0.6 
			 Dorset 39 53,971 0.1 41 57,297 0.1 
			 Durham 241 41,061 0.6 456 43,353 1.1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 98 35,053 0.3 109 40,970 0.3 
			 Essex 203 113,886 0.2 241 122,644 0.2 
			 Gloucester 64 37,410 0.2 68 43,056 0.2 
			 Greater Manchester 925 191,116 0.5 777 186,972 0.4 
			 Guernsey 0 1,426 0.0 1 1,157 0.1 
			 Gwent 141 37,670 0.4 112 38,649 0.3 
			 Hampshire 359 146,869 0.2 472 150,083 0.3 
			 Hertfordshire 249 87,514 0.3 342 87,774 0.4 
			 Humberside 224 58,097 0.4 531 54,687 1.0 
			 Isle of Man 6 1,474 0.4 7 1,689 0.4 
			 Jersey 3 1,932 0.2 2 1,860 0.1 
			 Kent 845 112,074 0.8 766 122,043 0.6 
			 Lancashire 366 106,409 0.3 746 111,853 0.7 
			 Leicestershire 328 66,678 0.5 717 68,324 1.0 
			 Lincolnshire 82 67,100 0.1 202 64,148 0.3 
			 Merseyside 190 113,587 0.2 187 120,010 0.2 
			 Metropolitan 1,965 589,417 0.3 1,757 611,608 0.3 
			 MOD and PGA 0 0  10 127 7.9 
			 Norfolk 274 60,677 0.5 225 62,079 0.4 
			 North Wales 168 51,994 0.3 289 58,260 0.5 
			 North Yorkshire 775 60,493 1.3 868 69,189 1.3 
			 Northamptonshire 316 52,320 0.6 316 51,228 0.6 
			 Northumbria 180 94,731 0.2 460 102,399 0.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 361 67,080 0.5 435 71,886 0.6 
			 PSNI 378 9,442 4.0 127 12,528 1.0 
			 Royal Military Police 0 0  28 4,486 0.6 
			 Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency 0 2 0.0 0 27 0.0 
			 SCRO 1,717 31,375 5.5 2,996 38,418 7.8 
			 South Wales 103 82,297 0 1 307 90,308 0.3 
			 South Yorkshire 173 80,522 0.2 212 88,882 0.2 
			 Staffordshire 681 79,628 0.9 386 73,666 0.5 
			 Suffolk 156 43,364 0.4 204 47,179 0.4 
			 Surrey 253 86,174 0.3 395 92,520 0.4 
			 Sussex 173 120,828 0.1 237 124,665 0.2 
			 Thames Valley 174 170,033 0.1 423 181,946 0.2 
			 UK Central Authority 0 2 0.0 0 60 0.0 
			 Warwickshire 119 35,085 0.3 153 39,511 0.4 
			 West Mercia 422 91,828 0.5 393 98,631 0.4 
			 West Midlands 807 203,887 0.4 860 193,107 0.4 
			 West Yorkshire 796 147,310 0.5 747 152,339 0.5 
			 Wiltshire 408 44,724 0.9 358 51,870 0.7 
			
			 Grand total 17,673 4,043,003 0.4 21,710 4,252,152 0.5 
			  Source: Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) and Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI)figures contain some conviction data also

Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department  (a) how many and  (b) what percentage of record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau were completed within (i) 10, (ii) 14, (iii) 25, (iv) 60 and (v) over 60 days in each year since 2002, broken down by police force area.

Jacqui Smith: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) operates to a set of public service standards which are to issue 90 per cent. of standard disclosures within 10 days and 90 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within 28 days.
	The targets mentioned above are not CRB targets for completion of a disclosure but part of an internal service level agreement (SLA) in place between the CRB and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). This SLA has been agreed by ACPO on behalf of the 43 local police forces in England and Wales and the time taken by each force to complete their part of the enhanced disclosure process is measured against these targets. By meeting these targets the police forces directly affect the CRB's ability to meet the public service standard for enhanced disclosures.
	The following table illustrates the number of checks completed by each police force in 10 days, 14 days, 25 days, 60 days and over 60 days during 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			  Force name  10 days  14 days  25 days  60 days  Over 60 days  10 days  14 days  25 days  60 days( 1)  Over 60 days 
			 Avon and Somerset 43,879 93,111 108,469 111,271 0 85,959 107,420 120,003 112,050 0 
			 Bedfordshire 47,440 48,129 48,483 48,547 0 47,490 48,409 48,846 45,003 0 
			 British Transport Police n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 26,103 27,481 27,747 25,225 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 25,824 32,216 49,424 62,271 0 18,034 32,199 43,180 58,902 0 
			 Cheshire 8,030 11,564 43,819 71,017 0 10,859 16,482 40,738 67,775 769 
			 City of London 1,382 1,723 2,028 2,169 0 2,047 2,134 2,351 2,625 0 
			 Cleveland 15,405 23,703 35,079 37,483 0 14,387 24,944 33,190 36,899 0 
			 Cumbria 6,575 10,040 14,349 24,828 4,053 14,791 23,041 30,447 29,242 0 
			 Derbyshire 18,760 26,516 35,059 54,099 4,146 43,581 53,789 63,989 61,897 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 45,797 68,380 105,171 117,227 0 113,909 121,696 125,271 119,995 0 
			 Disclosure Scotland 26,815 28,925 30,249 31,511 0 31,037 33,415 34,974 34,310 0 
			 Dorset 46,930 53,506 54,681 54,946 0 47,649 53,169 56,463 52,599 0 
			 Durham 7,157 12,375 31,851 39,869 0 35,208 36,662 39,574 39,102 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 33,222 35,083 35,261 35,404 0 39,832 40,549 40,715 37,400 0 
			 Essex 61,369 85,999 102,264 111,256 0 49,830 64,662 84,036 107,281 0 
			 Gloucester 13,597 21,993 31,125 37,304 0 14,720 20,887 29,777 36,795 0 
			 Greater Manchester 68,327 93,987 126,424 184,819 0 45,263 80,962 136,666 145,946 24,662 
			 Gwent 8,824 17,202 24,858 30,437 593 26,235 30,862 34,873 34,912 0 
			 Hampshire 78,786 99,644 120,398 133,172 0 131,098 135,087 142,324 139,304 0 
			 Hertfordshire 33,459 49,524 81,527 84,445 0 76,481 83,461 86,849 80,105 0 
			 Humberside 9,273 24,601 50,376 58,215 0 13,588 23,991 29,055 46,592 6,953 
			 Kent 59,155 94174 111,094 113,222 0 30,706 55,483 99,596 108,555 0 
			 Lancashire 33,841 45,900 87,983 104,249 0 105,668 109,634 111,814 103,871 0 
			 Leicestershire 22,446 32,375 45,558 58,299 1,459 42,165 47,216 53,172 58,054 2,191 
			 Lincolnshire 50,830 56,430 59,698 67,801 0 44,892 51,405 55,102 62,732 0 
			 Merseyside 34,190 68,775 104,184 111,844 0 48,159 62,800 96,784 106,086 0 
			 Metropolitan 286,186 325,447 393,839 540,931 19,344 435,609 504,979 593,919 570,469 0 
			 Norfolk 7,505 12,020 27,460 55,483 0 29,751 35,841 51,891 54,207 0 
			 North Wales 806 2,937 29,325 50,502 0 34,766 42,740 50,801 51,467 0 
			 North Yorkshire 58,458 60,175 60,765 60,897 0 39,593 56,089 68,958 66,953 0 
			 Northamptonshire 47,859 50,245 50,876 51,144 0 28,066 41,371 51,600 48,146 0 
			 Northumbria 31,168 60,539 72,251 84,925 818 54,475 67,766 76,426 84,735 6,220 
			 Nottinghamshire 7,412 14,555 35,382 64,849 0 59,897 68,168 70,312 65,498 0 
			 Police Service Northern Ireland 9,459 9,467 9,469 9,477 0 12,188 12,237 12,370 11,691 0 
			 South Wales 19,522 35,793 54,663 75,119 0 63,949 77,581 80,105 76,668 0 
			 South Yorkshire 6,448 16,914 59,988 79,445 0 32,993 64,689 82,056 81,453 0 
			 Staffordshire 21,235 31,633 38,614 60,007 8,301 26,701 35,020 60,733 68,841 0 
			 Suffolk 31,190 35,802 40,470 42,171 1,169 1,911 9,998 30,110 42,709 0 
			 Surrey 30,111 40,229 64,876 86,852 0 41,302 57,331 79,640 83,233 0 
			 Sussex 9,635 19,905 48,482 109,517 0 97,642 109,699 124,141 116,701 0 
			 Thames Valley 12,388 27,922 103,885 155,692 0 126,558 146,380 168,776 164,802 0 
			 Warwickshire 20,285 27,982 35,431 36,030 0 30,029 34,285 38,144 35,899 0 
			 West Mercia 88,213 89,059 90,072 90,835 0 76,808 85,095 93,350 90,527 0 
			 West Midlands 133,738 155,036 168,954 183,927 0 151,815 158,882 161,488 169,480 0 
			 West Yorkshire 30,124 65,927 115,026 149,488 0 78,169 110,032 135,273 141,926 0 
			 Wiltshire 27,143 32,615 40,921 45,995 0 39,355 41,974 47,827 47,249 0 
			 (1) The 60 day achievement for 2007-08 is an eleven-month calculation (April 2007-February 2008) as the calculation for the March 2008 achievement cannot be made until 60 days have elapsed since month-end. 
		
	
	The following table illustrates the percentage of checks completed by each police force in 10 days, 14 days, 25 days, 60 days and over 60 days during 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			  Force name  10 days  14 days  25 days  60 days  Over 60 days  10 days  14 days  25 days  60 days( 1)  Over 60 days 
			 Avon and Somerset 41 87 100 100 0 79 98 100 100 0 
			 Bedfordshire 100 100 100 100 0 100 100 100 100 0 
			 British Transport Police n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 100 100 100 100 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 43 54 83 100 0 30 54 72 100 0 
			 Cheshire 11 17 63 100 0 15 22 55 99 1 
			 City of London 66 82 96 100 0 100 100 100 100 0 
			 Cleveland 49 75 100 100 0 39 68 91 100 0 
			 Cumbria 23 35 50 86 14 47 74 97 100 0 
			 Derbyshire 32 46 60 93 7 66 81 97 100 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 42 63 97 100 0 99 100 100 100 0 
			 Disclosure Scotland 100 100 100 100 0 100 100 100 100 0 
			 Dorset 88 100 100 100 0 86 96 100 100 0 
			 Durham 19 32 83 100 0 87 90 97 100 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 99 100 100 100 0 100 100 100 100 0 
			 Essex 59 82 98 100 0 44 57 74 100 0 
			 Gloucester 36 59 83 100 0 40 57 81 100 0 
			 Greater Manchester 40 55 73 100 0 24 44 74 86 14 
			 Gwent 28 55 80 98 2 77 91 100 100 0 
			 Hampshire 61 78 94 100 0 94 97 100 100 0 
			 Hertfordshire 44 65 100 100 0 93 100 100 100 0 
			 Humberside 16 42 87 100 0 23 41 50 87 13 
			 Kent 59 94 100 100 0 27 49 88 100 0 
			 Lancashire 32 44 84 100 0 100 100 100 100 0 
			 Leicestershire 38 54 76 98 2 64 72 81 96 4 
			 Lincolnshire 75 83 88 100 0 67 77 82 100 0 
			 Merseyside 37 74 100 100 0 44 58 89 100 0 
			 Metropolitan 51 58 70 97 3 78 91 100 100 0 
			 Norfolk 15 25 56 100 0 54 64 93 100 0 
			 North Wales 2 6 62 100 0 65 80 95 100 0 
			 North Yorkshire 100 100 100 100 0 64 90 100 100 0 
			 Northamptonshire 100 100 100 100 o 59 87 100 100 0 
			 Northumbria 36 71 84 99 1 55 69 77 93 7 
			 Nottinghamshire 12 23 57 100 0 90 100 100 100 0 
			 Police Service Northern Ireland 100 100 100 100 0 100 100 100 100 0 
			 South Wales 28 51 79 100 0 79 96 100 100 0 
			 South Yorkshire 9 23 83 100 0 42 81 100 100 0 
			 Staffordshire 31 46 57 88 12 36 48 82 100 0 
			 Suffolk 72 83 93 97 3 4 22 67 100 0 
			 Surrey 37 50 80 100 0 49 68 95 100 0 
			 Sussex 10 20 48 100 0 87 97 100 100 0 
			 Thames Valley 8 18 67 100 0 74 85 99 100 0 
			 Warwickshire 60 83 100 100 0 84 96 100 100 0 
			 West Mercia 100 100 100 100 0 83 92 100 100 0 
			 West Midlands 77 89 97 100 0 83 87 89 100 0 
			 West Yorkshire 23 50 87 100 0 54 76 93 100 0 
			 Wiltshire 70 84 100 100 0 85 91 100 100 0 
			 (1) The 60 day achievement for 2007-08 is an eleven-month calculation (April 2007-February 2008) as the calculation for the March 2008 achievement cannot be made until 60 days have elapsed since month-end.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Single Farm Payment

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single farm payments have been made relating to  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06; and how many payments of what total value are outstanding for each of those years.

Jonathan R Shaw: For the 2005 single payment scheme (SPS) year, 117,109 customers have been paid 1.53 billion. Payments worth 58,644 are still outstanding for 8 customers.
	For the 2006 SPS year, 106,819 customers have been paid 1.514 billion. Payments worth 205,947 are outstanding for 42 customers.
	Outstanding 2005 and 2006 payments are complex cases involving legal and probate issues.
	As at 6 May 2008 97,809 customers out of the total estimated total claimant population of 106,700 have so far received full SPS payment for the 2007 SPS year. These payments are worth 1.255 billion, compared with the estimated total SPS fund value of 1.45 billion.
	RPA is working to finalise remaining payments as soon as possible.

Agriculture: Single Farm Payment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase and improve the provision for modulations under the single farm payment.

Jonathan R Shaw: Currently there are no plans to change the rates of voluntary modulation which apply in England from those that were announced on 29 March 2007.
	Changes to all the modulation provisions for the single farm payment are governed by European legislation. We expect modulation to feature as part of the European Commission's forthcoming Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy, the formal proposals for which are due to be published on 20 May.

Angling: Environment Protection

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on recreational fishing of the introduction of new licences under the draft Marine Bill.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 22 May 2008
	Amendments within the draft Marine Bill relating to recreational fishing in freshwater will give the Environment Agency the flexibility to introduce licences which distinguish between different types of waters in order that it might draw a distinction, for instance, between the best salmon rivers and those which are less good. As such a distinction is not necessary at present, the Environment Agency has no intention of using this power immediately, and therefore there will be no effect on anglers in the short to middle term.
	With regards to the licensing of sea angling, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading, West (Martin Salter) on 18 March 2008,  Official Report, column 944W.

Angling: Licensing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 29th April 2008,  Official Report, columns 280-1W, on angling: licensing, what the reason for the significant rise in the concessionary duty rates for rod licences is.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Environment Agency is under no legal obligation to offer any concessions at all, and has publicly stated that it will use a significant proportion of the monies raised by the higher duty rates to continue to improve access to angling for the disabled and senior anglers.
	The Environment Agency carried out its own research into these concessions in relation to those offered by other organisations. The research revealed that the typical concession offered by others is 0 to 10 per cent. and that the revised level of 33 per cent. is still generous in comparison. The concessionary rate will be reviewed again in 2010 along with the other rod and net licence duties.
	The Environment Agency faces challenges to implement the EU recovery plan for stocks of European eel in England and Wales, to take forward work on conservation of stocks of Atlantic salmon and sea-trout, and to comply with measures to implement EU rules on the control of fish diseases. Anglers have asked the Environment Agency to increase its focus on enforcing illegal fishing, and the Agency also has a corporate target to increase participation in angling by 2 per cent. a year.
	Unless its income is increased to cover inflationary pressures, the Environment Agency would have to cut its services to anglers. For it to maintain its targets the Environment Agency must fully assess all its income sources, and adjust them where necessary to reflect its statutory obligations.

Animal Welfare: Public Bodies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set up a new Animal Health and Welfare Agency to work alongside a National Centre for Animal Viral Disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: Animal Health is the Government's executive agency, which already exists to deliver animal health and welfare policies across Great Britain. The Government have recently consulted on the next steps for responsibility and cost sharing for animal health and welfare, including options for new institutional structures for responsibility sharing. The Government will be announcing their policy in due course. Animal health and welfare policy is a devolved matter and we are reviewing lessons learned from last year's foot and mouth outbreak about how we, together with the devolved Administrations, need to manage cross-border interests. As previously announced, the Government will be responding to Iain Anderson's review later in the year (including his suggestion for a National Centre for Animal Viral Diseases).

Bluetongue Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he estimates Herefordshire will become part of the bluetongue protection zone; and when Herefordshire farmers will receive the bluetongue vaccine.

Jonathan R Shaw: In accordance with the strategy for rolling out vaccination across England, which has been developed with a core group of industry stakeholders, the protection zone will be expanded at regular intervals over the summer, enabling vaccination to take place on a progressive basis. The strategy, which splits England into priority areas, is designed to be flexible, taking into account the delivery of vaccine, take-up in the existing protection zone, epidemiological information and the location of new disease, when it recurs.
	Under the order with Intervet, vaccine will arrive in regular deliveries until the end of August. Intervet is currently ahead of schedule. We cannot specify at this stage when vaccination will be rolled out into Herefordshire. However, we are issuing regular information bulletins to enable the industry to plan as far ahead as is possible.
	The strategy, map of priority areas and information bulletins are available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/control/vaccination/vaccination-rolloutplan.htm

Bluetongue Disease

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ensure that the bluetongue vaccine is administered in all parts of the country by 15 July 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 16 May 2008
	The UK was the first EU member state to order vaccine for BTV-8, and received its first batches from Intervet on 30 April, ahead of schedule, for use in the protection zone. We aim to get vaccine to as wide an area as possible, as it becomes available from the manufacturer, in order to help reduce the impact of the disease on industry and to free up movements of livestock. Under the order with Intervet, vaccine is being delivered on a regular basis until the end of August. The strategy for roll-out of vaccination has been developed in partnership with a core group of industry stakeholders.
	On 7 May, DEFRA announced, on the understanding that the industry would achieve mass vaccination against bluetongue, that it is tendering for further vaccine supplies for use over the summer.

Carbon Emissions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on securing agreement on a level of current carbon dioxide emissions to be used as a baseline for targets on emission reductions in the future.

Phil Woolas: This issue is on the agenda for the Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Co-operative Action (AWG LCA) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It will be discussed at a workshop on a 'shared vision, including a long term goal' at the 14(th) Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP14) to be held in Poznan in December of this year.
	In addition ministerial colleagues and I have taken part in several other discussions on a long term goal (i.e. a level of current greenhouse gas emissions to be used as a baseline for targets on emission reductions in the future), through international fora and bilateral discussions..
	In particular, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has just returned from the G8 Environment Ministers' meeting in Japan, where Ministers underlined the need to reach agreement on a shared vision of a long-term goal at this year's G8 Summit, building on the commitment made last year to seriously consider reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least half by 2050.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions he has visited  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: Ministers in this Department have visited Scotland on four occasions, Wales on three occasions and Northern Ireland on one occasion in the last 12 months.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.

Departmental ICT

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 6th March 2008,  Official Report, column 2716W, on departmental ICT, how many of the missing or stolen  (a) laptops,  (b) mobile telephones and  (c) personal digital assistants have been replaced by his Department; and at what cost.

Jonathan R Shaw: Following the outsourcing of IT services to IBM in October 2004, computers/laptops are no longer classed as departmental assets as they form part of the overall contract for the provision of IT services. All IT equipment therefore belongs to IBM and DEFRA is not charged for replacement equipment. DEFRA does not keep a record of laptops replaced following loss or theft.
	DEFRA does not centrally record the individual replacement of lost or stolen mobile telephones or PDAs. Individual business units are required to maintain records of equipment held and run delegated budgets for the purchase of communication equipment. To gather the requested information from individual business units across Defra would incur a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and (b) revoked by Ministers in his Department and its predecessor since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 28 April, the Department placed in the Libraries of the House copies of a report on: DEFRA's statutory instruments between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2007. The report is the outcome of a review of SIs over that period, and incorporates data on SIs introduced by DEFRA's predecessor (i.e. MAFF). The report shows that the Department implemented 1,036 SIs between 2000 and 2007, and revoked 840 SIs dating back to 2000 and earlier. Comparable data are not available pre-2000.

Departmental Standards

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what projects sponsored by his Department were subject to Gateway reviews in each of the last four years; what status each project was assigned under such reviews; how much his Department spent on Gateway reviews in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 15 May 2008
	DEFRA have had 71 high and medium risk and 18 low risk reviews in the period 1 May 2004 to 1 May 2008. Gateway reports, including the findings and status, are conducted on a confidential basis for senior responsible owners (SROs). We do not, therefore, make this information routinely public.
	A key principle of Gateway reviews is that they are cost neutral. However, where there is a shortfall in civil service Gateway reviewers, suitably accredited external resources may be provided by the Office of Government Commerce at a charge. While the Department is unable to identify the individual costs for each review undertaken, as this information is not specifically recorded, DEFRA is currently in credit with OGC for its review days by a factor of 8,600 for the 2007-08 period.

Disease Control

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made on cost-sharing for bio-security measures; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 895W.

Dogs

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many successful prosecutions were brought for breeding fighting dogs in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information from the Ministry of Justice shows that there was one successful prosecution for breeding fighting dogs in England and Wales 2006, information for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	The figure provided relates to a person for whom the offence was the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Dogs

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the operation and effectiveness of the legislation on dangerous dogs.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government conducted a review of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 last year. We consulted police forces in England and Wales and discussed the outcome of this consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). A summary of the responses by police forces is available in the Library of the House.
	In the light of the response from the police service, we concluded that the current legislation is sufficiently robust to effectively deal with the problem of dangerous dogs.
	We will work closely with the ACPO in helping to implement initiatives to ensure that the law is enforced more effectively.

Farms

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research into the use of commercial farms as a means of promoting well-being of people with disabilities or social needs.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA has no plans to commission research into care farming at the current time. My ministerial colleague Lord Rooker visited the care farm Highfields Happy Hens on 22 May.

Farms: Local Authorities

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tenanted or managed farms are owned by each of the local authorities.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 22 May 2008
	Local authorities in England have reported that they held 3,138 smallholdings as at 31 March 2007 (the most recent date for which figures are available). The number of smallholdings held by individual authorities is given in the following table. We do not hold information for Wales.
	
		
			  Number of smallholdings by county/unitary authority in England as at 31 March 2007 
			  County/unitary authority  Total 
			 Bedfordshire 138 
			 Berkshire West 3 
			 Bournemouth 7 
			 Brighton and Hove 51 
			 Buckinghamshire 66 
			 Cambridgeshire 344 
			 Cheshire 137 
			 City of York 4 
			 Cornwall 112 
			 Cumbria 14 
			 Devon 91 
			 Dorset 66 
			 Durham 15 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 136 
			 East Sussex 2 
			 Essex 11 
			 Gloucestershire 136 
			 Hampshire 66 
			 Hartlepool 2 
			 Herefordshire 61 
			 Hertfordshire 62 
			 Lancashire 2 
			 Leicestershire 82 
			 Lincolnshire 280 
			 Medway 3 
			 Milton Keynes 12 
			 Norfolk 240 
			 Northamptonshire 15 
			 North Lincolnshire 18 
			 North Somerset 11 
			 Northumberland 7 
			 North Yorkshire 78 
			 Nottinghamshire 19 
			 Oxfordshire 41 
			 Peterborough 28 
			 Shropshire 43 
			 Slough 1 
			 Somerset 89 
			 South Gloucestershire 18 
			 Staffordshire 135 
			 Suffolk 102 
			 Surrey 60 
			 Swindon 19 
			 Thurrock 11 
			 Torbay 2 
			 Warrington 5 
			 Warwickshire 75 
			 West Sussex 21 
			 Wiltshire 71 
			 Worcestershire 126 
			 Total 3,138

Fisheries: Finance

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue likely to be generated each year from fishing licences issued under the draft Marine Bill.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Environment Agency's income generated through fishing licences (for salmon, trout, eels and freshwater fish) was 21.7 million in 2007-08; we do not expect this to be significantly affected by amendments made through the draft Marine Bill.

Flood Control: Standards

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood defence structures in England and Wales were in  (a) very good,  (b) good,  (c) fair,  (d) poor and  (e) very poor condition under Environment Agency asset condition classifications in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides information on all Flood Defence structures connected with Main Rivers and the Sea maintained by the Environment Agency or third parties.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Condition grade 
			   Very good  G ood  Fair  Poor  Very poor 
			 April 2004(1) 8 49 35 6 2 
			 July 2005 62 31 7 
			 April 2006 61 32 7 
			 February 2007 63 30 7 
			 April 2008 66 29 5 
			 (1) April 2004 figures are for England only.

Flood Control: Urban Areas

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to allocate responsibility for the ownership and long-term maintenance and renewal of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems infrastructure; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA recently consulted on options for the allocation of responsibility for the ownership and long-term maintenance of sustainable drainage systems, as part of the consultation on Improving Surface Water Drainage. This consultation was launched alongside the Government's Water Strategy, Future Water and closed on 30 April 2008. We will publish a summary of the responses in late July, followed by a Government response to the consultation and proposed course of action, later in the year.

Flood Control: Urban Areas

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the recommendation of the National Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) working group regarding allocation of responsibility was for the ownership and long-term maintenance and renewal of SUDS infrastructure.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA consulted on options for the allocation of the responsibility for ownership and adoption of sustainable drainage systems as part of the Improving Surface Water Drainage consultation. This consultation was launched alongside the Government's Water Strategy, Future Water and closed on 30 April 2008. DEFRA received in excess of 100 responses and is in the process of considering and summarising these. The summary will be published at the end of June and copies of individual responses will be made available.

Flood Protection: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on flood protection measures in  (a) rural areas and  (b) urban areas in each year between 2001 and 2008 (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a percentage of total flood protection expenditure in each of those years.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency directs flood risk expenditure into areas which are most at risk of flooding, it does not make a distinction between urban and rural when defining flood risk.

Floods: Felixstowe

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make an estimate of the difference between the costs involved in undertaking emergency works on Felixstowe's flood defences as requested by the district council two years ago and the cost of the work now necessary;
	(2)  what costs have been incurred for emergency work on Felixstowe flood defences since 1997;
	(3)  what the cost of rebuilding Felixstowe's flood defence works would be;
	(4)  on what dates the Environment Agency confirmed to Suffolk coastal district council that funds for emergency works on Felixstowe's flood defences would be provided.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency estimates that 1.5 million has been spent on emergency works on the Felixstowe coastal frontage since 1997. The vast majority of this expenditure has been incurred within the last three years and predominately on the southern Felixstowe frontage.
	At today's prices it is estimated that the capital reconstruction of Felixstowe's defences would cost in the order of 17 million. This includes around 10 million for work that is currently underway on Felixstowe's south beach.
	The coastal strategy for Felixstowe needed to be in place before any works were undertaken. This was to ensure that the works on the frontage at Felixstowe did not have any subsequent effects on neighbouring coastal processes or strategies.
	I can confirm that the Environment Agency wrote to the Director of Finance at Suffolk coastal district council on 3 April 2008. This letter confirmed that emergency funds were approved to the value of 229,000 for works to the Central Felixstowe frontage.

Floods: Research

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of the flood impact study by Cranfield University is; and what proportion of the cost will be met by  (a) the Environment Agency and  (b) the Commission for Rural Communities.

Phil Woolas: The joint Environment Agency and DEFRA Flood and Coastal Erosion Management (FCERM) Science programme commissioned Cranfield, Sheffield and Middlesex universities to carry out a study for Preliminary Data Collection and Estimating the Cost of Summer Flooding on Farmland and in Urban Areas. The combined cost for this project was 48,500 which included data collection, verification and analysis and professor and research assistant fees. The results will be used to test the accuracy of the Environment Agency's existing tools for estimating the impact of a flood. The Commission for Rural Communities funded a parallel project on rural areas costing 15,000.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Research

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance is given to members of his Department's scientific advisory committees on taking into account all studies and data submitted in support of applications for approval of genetically-modified organisms and pesticides before providing advice to Ministers.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 22 May 2008
	The Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) provides advice on matters relating to the control of pests in furthering the general purposes of part III of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) advises Ministers on proposed releases of genetically modified organisms. In common with other committees, both the ACP and ACRE follow the code of practice for scientific advisory committees, recently reviewed and updated in December 2007. This can be viewed on the website of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. The code refers to the importance of decisions being based on all the available evidence, and notes that the secretariat should ensure that all relevant scientific information is made available to its committee. All members of the ACP and ACRE have received a copy of the revised code of practice.

Insulation: EC Law

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department have had with representatives of the plastic foam insulation industry on the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000 in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Ministers have not met representatives of the plastic foam insulation industry on the specific question of implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000 during the last five years. Officials met various industry representatives in January and April 2008 to discuss the recovery of ozone-depleting substances from building foams and will be hosting further meetings in the near future.
	Recovery of ozone-depleting substances from foams is an important issue which has recently been identified by consultants hired by the European Commission to help with the ongoing review of EU legislation on ozone-depleting substances. The consultants have reported that, as yet, there has been no concerted effort to recover ozone-depleting substances in building foams either in Europe or elsewhere.

Landfill: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the figures for waste to landfill expressed in kilograms per person are not available for Newcastle upon Tyne; and if he will ask Newcastle city council why such figures are not available.

Joan Ruddock: All local authorities provide quarterly returns on their municipal waste to WasteDataFlow. The only years for which no figures are available for Newcastle-upon-Tyne are 2000-01 and 2004-05, presumably due to the authority not having completed the DEFRA survey at the time.
	Waste authorities with a disposal role must now complete WasteDataFlow returns to provide their data for the landfill allowances trading scheme (LATS). Waste collection authorities submit returns on a voluntary basis. However, the statutory requirement associated with LATS only started from 2005-06. Prior to this, all returns were voluntary.

London Airports

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times his Department hired VIP facilities at  (a) Heathrow,  (b) Gatwick,  (c) Luton and  (d) Stansted airports in each month since May 2006; and what the expenditure on VIP facilities at each was in each of those months.

Jonathan R Shaw: No VIP facilities have been used by DEFRA staff at any airport since May 2006, hence there has been no expenditure.

Poultry: Registration

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of setting up the national poultry register; and how many poultry keepers are registered on it.

Jonathan R Shaw: The cost of developing and implementing the Great Britain Poultry Register IT system was 8.4 million.
	As of 15 May 2008, the Great Britain Poultry Register holds details of 24,286 premises. A total of 253,717,034 birds have been registered.

Poultry: Registration

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of running the national poultry register was in each year since its introduction.

Jonathan R Shaw: The cost of running the Great Britain Poultry register for each year was:
	
		
			   million 
			  Description  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 IT Support Costs 0.000 0.356 0.924 
			 Call Centre Costs 1.490 1.609 0.368 
			 Mailing Costs 0.019 0.059 0.060 
			 Total 1.509 2.024 1.352

Rights of Way: Vehicles

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on byways open to all traffic; and what steps his Department plans to take in light of the Court of Appeal judgment in the case of R on the Application of the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College and Humphrey Feeds Ltd  v. Hampshire county council and the Secretary of State.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government's policy on byways open to all traffic (BOATs) is set out in a document entitled 'Use of mechanically propelled vehicles on rights of waythe Government's framework for action', which was published in January 2005. In this document we made clear our intention to legislate to curtail claims for vehicular rights of way, where those claims derive from historic use and dedication for use by non-mechanically propelled vehicles. These proposals now form the basis of Part 6 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.
	The case of 'R on the Application of the Warden and Fellows of Winchester College and Humphrey Feeds Ltd  v. Hampshire county council and the Secretary of State' was essentially about what is meant by an: application made in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 14 to Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, within the meaning of section 67(6) of the 2006 Act and whether such an application, made for a byway open to all traffic, would have engaged the exceptions in section 67(3) of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 and thereby have preserved public rights of way for mechanically propelled vehicles that were the subject of such an application.
	The Court of Appeal ruled that, for the purposes of section 67(6) of the 2006 Act, an application must be accompanied by copies of all the documentary evidence that the applicant wished to adduce or rely upon and a copy of a map drawn to the prescribed scale.
	It seems likely that there are many cases pending where, in light of this judgment, the conclusion will be that, even where there was an application for a BOAT made before the relevant date (as set out in section 67(4) of the 2006 Act), the requirements of paragraph 1 of schedule 14 will have not been complied with, within the strict terms emphasised by the judgment, and therefore the public rights of way for mechanically propelled vehicles will have been extinguished.
	Version 5 of DEFRA's online guidance on Part 6 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, which will be published shortly, will include revised guidance on this aspect of the legislation. We have also issued revised guidance to rights of way inspectors to enable them to deal accordingly with any cases before them.

Sheep: Electronic Tagging

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what derogations the Government have sought from European regulations on the electronic tagging of sheep.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 16 May 2008
	The EU regulation provides for a derogation from electronic identification in respect of sheep and goats intended for slaughter within 12 months of age. We are currently discussing with industry how this derogation might be applied.
	The regulation also provides for a derogation from the need to electronically identify animals in member states where the combined sheep and goat population is less than 600,000 or where the goat population is less than 160,000. We will be applying this derogation to goats as the total UK population is less than the EU threshold.

Supermarkets: Environment Protection

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to assess the effects of the activities of supermarkets on the size of the UK's carbon footprint.

Phil Woolas: Supermarkets will be subject to the Government's mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment cap and trade scheme, which will lead to reductions in electricity use and direct energy use CO2 emissions (as well as requiring large non-energy intensive organisations such as supermarkets to annually report those energy use emissions).
	As well as taking action to reduce the direct CO2 emissions from their own activities (including their storage, display and transport of products), the supermarkets are also to be influential in reducing the embedded emissions associated with the whole supply chain of products consumed in the UK, including their production, manufacture, packaging and disposal.
	DEFRA, together with the Carbon Trust, is also sponsoring the BSI to develop a Publicly Available Specificationa method for the assessment of the lifecycle green house gas emissions of goods and services. This involves working with a number of retail outlets. The specification will be published later this year.

Wastes: Hazardous Substances

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much waste was classed as hazardous in each of the last five years; and how much hazardous waste was sent to landfill in each year.

Joan Ruddock: The Environment Agency advises me that it has published the data requested on its website.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships there were in (i) his Department and (ii) the agencies for which he is responsible in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The use of apprenticeships and advanced apprenticeships is managed by each business area. There is no central information available and cost of determining the number of apprenticeships within BERR and its agencies would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Bankruptcy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many individuals have been declared bankrupt in  (a) East Dunbartonshire constituency and  (b) in each Government office region in each of the last five years; and what forecast he has made of the number of personal bankruptcies in each of the next five years.

Patrick McFadden: Personal insolvencies in Scotland are the responsibility of the office of the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AIB).
	Statistics for bankruptcies in the Government Office Regions of England, and for Wales, for the most recent three years are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers of bankruptcies in E and W by GOR. 2005-07 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 East Midlands 3,447 4,594 5,189 
			 Eastern 5,351 7,024 7,147 
			 London 5,334 6,785 6,632 
			 North East 2,156 3,016 3,433 
			 North West 4,664 6,844 7,453 
			 South East 7,350 9,632 9,663 
			 South West 6,357 8,064 7,750 
			 West Midlands 4,156 5,769 5,954 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,268 5,812 5,954 
			 
			 Wales 1,910 2,800 2,968 
			 
			 Total of GORs plus Wales 44,993 60,340 62,143 
			 
			 Published E and W totals 47,291 62,956 64,480 
			 1. Totals for GORs plus Wales are not the same as official published totals for E and W due to missing and/or inaccurate postcode data and the regional figures being based on extracts from the database at a different point in time. 2. There are no official forecasts of personal bankruptcy numbers. The Insolvency Service does use a planning assumption for the number of bankruptcies in England and Wales as a whole, and this number is in the service's corporate plan 2008-11, available at www.insolvencygov.uk.

Borrowing: Interest Rates

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he is taking to protect consumers who borrow on terms that assert fixed rates of interest from contractual provisions that enable the interest rates to which they are liable to vary.

Gareth Thomas: The Government have introduced a number of measures to promote greater transparency in the consumer credit market so that, before they enter into a credit agreement, consumers have the information they need to make an informed choice and are aware of the terms and conditions of the agreement.
	The Consumer Credit (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2004 specify the information which must be disclosed to borrowers before a regulated consumer credit agreement is made and they specify the manner in which the information must be disclosed. Borrowers should therefore be fully aware of the terms, such as the type of interest rate applicable, before they enter into any agreement.
	In addition, the Consumer Credit Directive, which, it seems likely, will be due to be implemented by October 2010, will include a requirement for lenders to provide borrowers with a key standard information sheet before entering into a contract.
	Furthermore, the Consumer Credit Act 2006 strengthens consumer rights, by enabling consumers to challenge unfair lending agreements before the courts. Courts are able to consider the entirety of a relationship between debtors and creditors to determine whether any of the circumstances arising from an agreement are unfair to the debtor. The Act also introduces an alternative dispute resolution scheme under which consumers have access to a free and independent means of resolving disputes with their lenders by taking their case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, rather than having to go through the courts.
	Further protection is provided through the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, which come into force on 26 May. These introduce a general prohibition on the use of unfair commercial practices that harm consumers' economic interests. Unfair commercial practices will include failure to inform consumers of material information they need to know to make informed purchasing decisions. Any concerns that the practices of traders may infringe this prohibition may be brought to the attention of OFT or Trading Standards.
	In addition, the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations enable consumers to challenge any term which has not been individually negotiated in a consumer contract, where that term causes a significant imbalance in the rights and obligations of the parties to the detriment of the consumer. If the court agrees that the term is unfair, it will not be binding on the consumer.

British Telecom: Planning

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of whether BT's plans to build telephone-bearing advertising structures on the roadside are permissible under BT's code powers.

Malcolm Wicks: No general assessment has been made as there are already procedures in place to handle this issue.
	When BT wish to install new telephone kiosks bearing illuminated advertising, they are required on each occasion to apply to the local authority, prior to installation, for an advertising consent. This is in addition to the General Permitted Development Order which they are required to obtain for the installation of any type of payphone in a public place.

Business: Crime

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what maximum penalties are applicable for  (a) conspiracy to defraud creditors,  (b) fraudulent trading,  (c) preferential treatment of creditors and  (d) failure to file statutory company accounts and returns within the period set down by law.

Patrick McFadden: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The current maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine or both.
	 (b) The current maximum penalty for fraudulent trading in respect of a company is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine or both. The current maximum penalty for participating in fraudulent business carried on by a sole trader is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine or both.
	 (c) Preferring one creditor to the general body of creditors is not a criminal offence. However, it may give rise to civil remedies that can be taken by a trustee or liquidator against the recipient of the preference, for the benefit of the general body of creditors.
	 (d) The maximum fine for failing to file accounts and/or annual returns for limited and public limited companies with Companies House within the period set down by law is 5,000 per offence.
	The penalties for late delivery of accounts only are:
	
		
			   
			   Private  Plc 
			 3 months or less 100 500 
			 3 months and a day to 6 months 250 l,000 
			 6 months and a day to 12 months 500 2,000 
			 More than 12 months 1,000 5,000

Cartels

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in which markets his Department has identified cartels in the last 11 years.

Gareth Thomas: Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the responsibility for identifying and investigating cartels falls to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The following list contains 15 cartel cases where an infringement decision was issued by the OFT against cartels under the Competition Act 1998. It does not include cases where allegations may be in the public domain but remain under investigation, or are subject to legal proceedings. They are:
	Supply of local bus services involving bus routes in the Leeds area.
	Supply of automatic slack adjusters within the UK.
	Supply of Hasbro toys and games in the UK.
	Provision of services by cattle auctioneers at livestock marts in Northern Ireland.
	Supply of luxury ornamental ware in the UK.
	Supply of football club's or national team's replica kits in the UK.
	Supply of repair, maintenance and improvement services for flat roofs in the West Midlands.
	Supply of desiccant through distributors for use in insulated glass units in the UK.
	Supply of installation, repair, maintenance and improvement services for felt and single ply flat roof coverings in the north east of England.
	Supply of installation, repair, maintenance and improvement services for mastic asphalt coverings for flat roofs (and other flat surfaces) in Scotland.
	Supply of installation, repair, maintenance and improvement services for felt and single ply coverings for flat roofs in western-central Scotland.
	Supply of installation, repair and maintenance and improvement services for coverings for flat roofs and vehicular decks in England and/or Scotland.
	Supply of stock check pads in the UK.
	Supply of aluminium spacer bars in the UK.
	Provision of boarding services and comparable day services by certain independent fee paying schools in the UK.

Companies Investigation Branch

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will draw to the attention of his Department's Companies Investigation Branch the compliance of directors of  (a) Move (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Limited,  (b) W. J. Leisure (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Limited,  (c) Venue Master One Limited (trading as The Albion),  (d) Pubscene Limited,  (e) Prohibition PC Limited,  (f) Move One Limited,  (g) W. J. Leisure (Hanley) Limited,  (h) Move (Hanley) Limited,  (i) M One (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Limited,  (j) M One (Hanley) Limited and  (k) Hove One Limited in respect of the law governing the filing of (i) accounts and (ii) other statutory returns within the relevant time limits.

Patrick McFadden: Yes. I have advised both the Companies Investigation Branch and the Registrar of Companies.

Companies Investigation Branch

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will direct his Department's Companies Investigation Branch to seek reports on directors' conduct from  (a) liquidators Begbies Traynor of Stoke-on-Trent in respect of the affairs leading to the liquidation of (i) W. J. Leisure (Newcastle under Lyme) Limited, (ii) Venue Master One Limited, (iii) Prohibition PC Limited and (iv) W. J. Leisure (Hanley) Limited and (b) DTE Leonard Curtis of Hollins Mount, Bury in respect of the affairs leading to the liquidation of (A) Move (Newcastle under Lyme) Limited, (B) Move One Limited and (C) Move (Hanley) Limited and from liquidators Moore Stephens of Stoke-on-Trent in respect of the affairs leading to the winding-up and liquidation of Pubscene Limited.

Patrick McFadden: The Secretary of State has received reports from the liquidators of the various companies mentioned, other than Pubscene Limited which was subject to a winding up order dated 23 September 2003 when the Official Receiver was appointed. The Official Receiver will report to the Secretary of State if he comes to the conclusion that due to their actions further action is warranted against the directors.

Companies Investigation Branch

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ask his Department's Companies Investigation Branch to assess whether the law governing preferential treatment of creditors was complied with prior to the liquidation of  (a) Move (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Limited,  (b) W. J. Leisure (Newcastle-under-Lyme) limited,  (c) Venue Master One Limited (trading as The Albion),  (d) Pubscene Limited,  (e) Move One Limited,  (f) Prohibition PC Limited,  (g) W. J. Leisure (Hanley) Limited and  (h) Move (Hanley) Limited in respect of amounts due to (i) the owners of freehold property used by the companies, (ii) suppliers of drinks to licensed premises operated by the companies and (iii) banks.

Patrick McFadden: I have drawn my hon. Friend's concerns about these companies to officials in Companies Investigations Branch (CIB), to whom any further information should be passed.

Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has issued guidance to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Users are reminded to turn off their PCs when they leave the office. This advice is contained in the ICT Security Operating instructions which each member of staff is required to read and there is an annual reminder issued to them. For security reasons, any PCs inadvertently left on will go into an 'inactive' mode after a preset time. In addition, in a few month's time, we are planning to introduce a software facility that will automatically shut down any networked PC left on by mistake.

Construction: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform under what legislation prosecutions can be brought against  (a) incompetent builders and  (b) rogue traders; what changes have been made to each since enactment; whether further changes are planned; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Action can be taken by the Office of Fair Trading and trading standards against traders who mislead consumers, or use aggressive sales practices, under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, or part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002. Changes to legislation since enactment can be found through the UK Statute Law Database at:
	www.statutelaw.gov.uk/
	Civil action can be taken against builders who have not carried out their contract with due care and skill by the person who has contracted for their services, under the Sale of Goods and Services Act 1982.
	The Sale of Goods and Services Act falls within the scope of our current review of the consumer law regime. We are inviting views on the legislation, the way it is enforced and empowerment and redress for consumers. Views have been invited by 31 July 2008, the document is available at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk./files/file45196.pdf

Construction: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints were made to  (a) each local authority trading standards office and  (b) his Department about (i) incompetent builders and (ii) rogue traders in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: BERR do not keep records of complaints made to local authorities or maintain a database of complaints about traders.
	Consumer Direct is a Government backed telephone and online advice service managed by the Office of Fair Trading. It provides first stage practical advice on a broad range of consumer issues. It has been fully operational across Great Britain since October 2006.
	Over the first three years of operation, Consumer Direct recorded the following number of complaints.
	
		
			   Total number complaints  Of which: related to general building work 
			 2005 399,217 8,878 
			 2006 695,463 15,355 
			 2007 829,275 15,918

Consumer Information: Fees and Charges

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consumer protection legislation his Department has introduced to require  (a) mobile telephone companies,  (b) mortgage lenders,  (c) insurance companies and  (d) utilities companies to notify their customers of forthcoming changes in charging practices.

Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) General Conditions direct the way in which the telecoms industry is regulated. General Condition 10 on transparency and publication of information requires communications providers ensure that clear and up-to-date information on their prices and tariffs (not including bespoke or individual prices and tariffs), and on their standard terms and conditions, are published by sending a copy of such information or any appropriate parts of it to any end-user who may reasonably request such a copy; and by placing a copy of such information on their website.
	Ofcom has carried out two recent consultations concerned with consumer protection in the communications sector:
	on mobile mis-selling which proposes a new general condition on sales and marketing which among other things would require mobile operators to provide customers with appropriate information about the product/service at the point of sale (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/mobmisselling/); and
	on additional charges which included draft guidance on the fairness of terms covering additional charges, for example non-direct debit charges, charges to terminate a contract early or paying extra to receive a fully itemised bill (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/addcharges/)
	The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for the regulation of gas and electricity supply, including the rules governing notification of price increases. It is open to Ofgem to consider whether additional regulatory protection is required. From August 2007, following a two-year review by Ofgem of the standard conditions of supply licences, gas and electricity suppliers are required to provide their customers with notice within 65 working days of a price increase taking effect. Suppliers are required to remind customers of their right to terminate the supply contract within 10 working days if the customer wishes to transfer supplier in light of the price increase.
	Mortgage lenders and insurance companies are the responsibility of HM Treasury.

Consumer Protection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Government intend to take steps to improve levels of protection offered to consumers by legislation.

Gareth Thomas: The UK already has one of the best consumer law regimes in the world. This has recently been strengthened by the introduction of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, implementing the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, so as to provide a comprehensive approach to unfair commercial practices and close off loopholes in previous legislation. The Consumer Credit Act 2006 has brought in tough new protections against rogue lenders and debt collectors. The Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 will require all estate agents in the UK to belong to approved redress schemes dealing with complaints about the buying and selling of residential property, give enforcers greater powers to remove rogue estate agents from the market, and create a new, stronger and more coherent consumer advocacy body.
	The Government are also planning to provide more rights for consumers who enter into contracts at home, by extending the right to the seven day cooling off period from unsolicited visits to include solicited visits.
	The Government are currently undertaking a review of the consumer law regime that is:
	examining the scope for simplification of existing legislation and enhancing flexibility and future-proofing while maintaining necessary protections;
	exploring avenues to simplify and rationalise enforcement, allowing greater targeting of action on higher-risk sectors or business; and
	investigating the options for improving consumer empowerment and redress.
	We have launched a call for evidence, with views invited by 31 July.
	Beyond legislation, the funding to the successful scambusting and illegal money lending pilots that target rogue traders has been extended. In addition, the Government have set up the Consumer Direct helpline to provide consumers with practical advice on resolving problems.

Consumers: Protection

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what reasons commencement of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations has been postponed from the planned date of 6 April 2008.

Gareth Thomas: The last stages of finalising the draft Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations took longer than expected with the result that businesses would have had little time to prepare had the Regulations been brought into force on 6 April as originally planned. Following a request, I thought it right and consistent with better regulation good practice to delay commencement to 26 May to give business a full 12 weeks to prepare from date the draft Regulations were laid before Parliament.

Consumers: Protection

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what changes have been made to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations since the draft regulations were published for consultation in 2007.

Gareth Thomas: The most important changes compared with the draft Regulations published for consultation in May 2007 are:
	(a) the term typical consumer has been replaced by average consumer wherever the former appear in the Regulations;
	(b) the effect of a commercial practice on an average consumer now takes account of such a person having characteristics which include being reasonably well informed, reasonably observant and circumspect as set out in Recital 18 of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (UCPD, Directive 2005/29/EC) which the Regulations implement; and
	(c) the wording describing the circumstances whether the two variations of the average consumer test (the average member of a targeted group and the average vulnerable consumer) apply more closely follows that in the UCPD.
	The other main changes to the Regulations are set out in the Government's Response to the May 2007 consultation, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

Credit Cards: Fraud

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the use of chip and pin at point of sale terminals.

Gareth Thomas: The operation of the chip and pin scheme is an industry initiative that is not subject to legislation. However, in its approach to implementing the Payment Services Directive, the Government are considering provisions relating to the authorisation of payment transactions. Such transactions could include chip and pin point of sale transactions.

Debts: Mentally Ill

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Ministerial Group on Over-indebtedness  (a) has undertaken and  (b) plans to undertake work on people with mental health problems who face financial difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Ministerial Group on Over-indebtedness was pleased to note in its Tackling Over-indebtedness Annual Report 2007 that:
	(i) the Money Advice Liaison Group had agreed its best practice guidelines on debt management in relation to people with mental health problems and
	(ii) the Finance and Leasing Association had introduced specific provisions in its Lending Code to ensure customers with long term health difficulties received appropriate assistance.
	Since then, the British Bankers' Association have issued their new Banking Code that promises to consider all cases of financial difficulty sympathetically and positively.
	The Government expect industry to observe these provisions.
	In addition, reforms to the consumer credit licensing regime, introduced by the Consumer Credit Act 2006, have given the Office of Fair Trading stronger powers to investigate and take action against rogue traders who lend irresponsibly.
	Furthermore, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which come into force on 26 May, provide additional protection for vulnerable consumers. Under these regulations, a commercial practice, such as aggressive or misleading sales techniques, may be found unlawful where it is likely to only adversely affect a clearly identifiable group of vulnerable consumers in a way which a trader can reasonably foresee, by virtue of mental or physical infirmity, age or credulity.

Defence Export Services Organisation: Finance

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the operating budget of the Defence Export Services Organisation was in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07.

Gareth Thomas: The net operating costs of the Defence Export Services Organisation in the financial year 2004-05 was 16.922 million. For financial years 2005-06 and 2006-07 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the armed forces on 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 196W to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone).

Departmental Advertising

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1166W, on departmental advertising, if he will provide the equivalent figures for  (a) campaign and  (b) recruitment advertising for the financial year 2006-07.

Gareth Thomas: In 2006-07 the then DTI spent 581,424 on campaign advertising and 11,457 on recruitment advertising via the Central Office of Information. Detail of other advertising expenditure is not held centrally.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform at how many events held by his Department  (a) wine and  (b) Fairtrade wine were served in the last three years; and what assessment his Department has made of the merits of serving Fairtrade wine at future events.

Gareth Thomas: My Department does not have the information requested available and to produce this information would incur disproportionate costs. However, BERR has adopted a policy to use Fairtrade products within its catering operations and includes a clause within the contract specification with its catering service provider.

Departmental Data Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether any officials in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies were disciplined or dismissed for (i) breaches of data protection requirements and (ii) inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: The Department collects data on officials who are either disciplined or dismissed relating to breaches of data protection requirements and also for inappropriate use of personal or sensitive data. The Department is unable to provide any data as in doing so we would identify individuals involved. In identifying an individual or individuals the Department would be open to claims of breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Secretary of State in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each.

Gareth Thomas: A summary list will be published by way of a written ministerial statement which will provide information of official receptions hosted by Ministers in this Department during the course of the financial year 2007-08. The Department will aim to do this before summer recess this year.

Departmental Plants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on pot plants in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: My Department has spent the following on pot plants in each of the last five years:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 29,394.17 
			 2004-05 25,640.17 
			 2005-06 22,209.43 
			 2006-07 21,358.50 
			 2007-08 23,021.57

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on  (a) written consultations,  (b) consultation roadshows and  (c) stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: We estimate that the production costs of the written consultations carried out by the Department in the last three years were as follows:
	
		
			
			 2005 67,000 
			 2006 71,000 
			 2007 51,000 
		
	
	Calculating or estimating the cost of consultation roadshows and stakeholder focus groups could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consultants have been contracted by his Department to conduct public participation activities in the last three years; and how much expenditure his Department has incurred on each such contract to date.

Gareth Thomas: This information is not held centrally and could be provided at only disproportionate cost.

Departmental Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will list the  (a) special advisers and  (b) ministerial appointees in possession of a security pass enabling access to his Department's predecessor's main building in the month prior to the prorogation of Parliament for the 2005 general election.

Gareth Thomas: Special advisers based in the DTI, prior to the 2005 general elections were:
	Jim Godfrey (surrendered pass on 19 April, 2005)
	Roger Sharpe (surrendered pass on 19 April, 2005)
	Liz Kendall (surrendered pass on 7 April, 2005).
	On the announcement of the general election in 2005, the above were asked to surrender their passes.
	DTI Ministers were not obliged to carry security passes.

Directors: Disqualification

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many adverse reports required under the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986 have been received by his Department concerning the conduct of directors in each year since 2002.

Patrick McFadden: The number of adverse reports received since 2002 is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 3,539 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 3,394 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 3,860 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 3,721 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 4,107 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 3,991 
			 1 April 2008 to 16 May 2009 606

Directors: Disqualification

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many disqualification orders have been made against directors under the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986 for a period of  (a) two years and  (b) more than two years in each year since 2002.

Patrick McFadden: Prior to 1 April 2006 statistics are not available which break down disqualification orders by period.
	From 1 April the figures are listed in the following table:
	
		
			   Two years  Above two years 
			 1 April to 31 March 2007 13 233 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 12 236 
			 1 April 2008 to 19 May 2008 0 20 
		
	
	The total number of disqualification orders from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2006 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 319 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 213 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 march 2005 290 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 march 2006 267

Electronic Government

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether mechanisms are in place to monitor the extent to which his Department's  (a) internal and  (b) external (i) correspondence and (ii) distribution of publications is carried out electronically.

Gareth Thomas: BERR does keep records of the number of paper letters and e-mails it sends. The Department can therefore determine over a given period what proportion is white mail and what proportion is e-mail.
	BERR does have a mechanism in place to identify which publications are distributed electronically via the departmental website. For the period 1 November 2007 to 30 April 2008, there were 667,165 page views of the folder which holds the downloadable documents.
	BERR uses MS Outlook for e-mail messaging and has an electronic document and records management (EDRM) system called MATRIX.

Energy: Low Incomes

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what methods he plans to use to apportion the 150 million increased expenditure on social assistance agreed with energy suppliers to address fuel poverty amongst customers of the six major suppliers.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 12 May 2008
	Energy suppliers offer a range of initiatives to help the vulnerable including social tariffs, rebates and trust funds. Following the three year voluntary agreement signed with each individual energy supplier, Ofgem is leading a process to set the parameters for what can be included by suppliers as part of this spend on their social programmes. Ofgem is planning to consult on this issue shortly.

Energy: Prices

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect of mark-to-market value on the price of energy.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are aware of a wide range of academic and industry studies which look at energy prices and meet regularly with experts to discuss prices and other market issues. However the Department has not specifically evaluated or commissioned research solely on the impact of mark-to-market value on the price of energy.

Estate Agents

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  when he plans to implement the requirement that estate agents join an Office of Fair Trading approved complaints scheme under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007;
	(2)  how many representations he has received  (a) for and  (b) against retaining the statutory estate agent contractual terms (i) ready willing and able and (ii) sole selling rights.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State can only make an order requiring estate agents to belong to an approved redress scheme once the Office of Fair Trading has approved at least one scheme open to all estate agents. Subject to the OFT approving a scheme, I expect to commence an order requiring redress scheme membership on 1 October 2008.
	The Estate Agents (Provision of Information) Regulations 1991 include statutory definitions for specified contract terms that deal with who can sell a property and in what circumstances commission is payable to an estate agent. The recent estate agents consultation sought views on alternative versions of the statutory definitions. The bulk of the respondents to the consultation restricted their comments to amending the statutory definitions, but two of them expressed views against retaining the terms 'sole selling rights' and 'ready, willing and able purchaser'. One respondent called for 'sole selling rights' to be removed, whereas the other called for both terms to be prohibited. We are currently reviewing the responses.

Financial Reporting Council: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what financial contribution his Department makes to the operations of the Financial Reporting Council.

Gareth Thomas: For the 2008-09 financial year, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform expects to contribute 3.467 million to the core operating costs of the Financial Reporting Council. With regard to future funding of the Financial Reporting Council by the Department, I refer my hon. Friend to my written statement of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 66WS.

Foreign Workers: Poland

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the evidential basis was for the information he gave in his interview on the BBC on Sunday 6th April 2008 on the proportion of Polish migrant workers who have now returned to Poland.

John Hutton: A paper by the Bank of England published in January 2007 The Impact of the Recent Migration from Eastern Europe on the UK Economy indicated that sources suggested that a
	significant proportionperhaps as many as a halfhave returned to their country of origin.
	Earlier this year the Centre for International Relations, a Warsaw based think tank, also suggested that half of the estimated 1 million UK based Poles are expected to return home.

Imports: Cotton

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to prevent imports of  (a) cotton and  (b) clothing which have been produced by child labour in Uzbekistan.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 7 May 2008
	The UK remains concerned, about allegations of the use of child labour in the cotton sector in Uzbekistan. The UK has raised its concerns through the EU and has discussed the issue with the Uzbek Government. The EU welcomed Uzbekistan's signing of the International Labour Organisation Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour earlier this year and has urged Uzbekistan to implement effectively its international obligations in this regard.
	The UK Government continue to call on businesses to look at their supply chains and take appropriate action if they find evidence that goods has been produced using child labour.
	There is no legal requirement for goods to bear marks indicating its origin. As such, it would be difficult for the Government to establish a blanket ban on imports of Uzbek cotton and clothing. Similarly, products manufactured using Uzbek cotton in a third country would legitimately bear the country of manufacture as the country of origin.

Imports: Seals

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the introduction of an EU-wide ban on the importation of seal products.

Gareth Thomas: I, together with my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and the noble Lord Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Food and Fanning and Animal Health at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), jointly wrote on 13 March 2008 to Commissioner Dimas, DG Environment at the European Commission as well as to all EU member state Trade and Agricultural Ministers reiterating the UK's request for an EU-wide ban on the importation of sealskin products.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to appoint a new member to the Dust Reference Panel.

Malcolm Wicks: The Coordinating Group of claimants' solicitors nominated a candidate which the Department accepted. The Department currently awaits the candidate's acceptance of the terms and conditions of the post before confirming the appointment.

Ipsos MORI

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2008,  Official Report, column 18W, on departmental official hospitality, what the cost of each stakeholder survey provided to his Department by Ipsos MORI in 2007-08 was.

Gareth Thomas: Four of five surveys have so far been completed with costs (excluding VAT) as shown in the following table. The fifth, of Fair Markets stakeholders, to be conducted later in the year, is currently being scoped. Its anticipated cost is 39,000 ex VAT.
	
		
			   Cost () 
			 Business Relations Stakeholders 25,680 
			 Enterprise Stakeholders 21,500 
			 Captains of Industry Reputation 20,250 
			 BERR Key Corporate Stakeholders 19,600

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many low carbon buildings programme grants he estimates will be made between March 2008 and the end of 2008-09.

Malcolm Wicks: At present, there are on average 200 householder grants offered per month under the low carbon buildings programme phase 1. On this assumption, we will allocate a further 2,400 grants up to the end of March 2009. Our projections of future uptake estimate around 27 million of low carbon buildings programme phase 2 grants allocated between March 2008 and March 2009. However, it is difficult to predict future take up with certainty given the many factors involved.
	We continue to work towards increasing grant uptake through promoting the programme and increasing awareness of LCBP and the technologies it supports.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in respect of which types of public buildings applications for grants under the low carbon buildings programme have been made.

Malcolm Wicks: There have been applications for grants under the low carbon buildings programme involving public buildings in following categories:
	 Low carbon buildings programme phase 1
	Community buildings/ day centres
	Emergency services
	Further educationuniversities, colleges and academies
	Hospitals
	Libraries/museums/galleries
	Offices
	Primary health care buildings
	Primary schools
	Prisons
	Religious buildings
	Residential/housing developments
	Secondary schools
	Social clubs
	Sports centres/leisure centres
	Theatres/cinemas/music halls and auditoria
	Warehouses and storage
	Workshops/maintenance depots
	Other
	 Low carbon buildings programme phase 2
	Local groups with constitutions
	Local authorities
	School
	University
	Housing association/trust
	Others (ALMO'sarms length management organisations)

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of funding from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme has been spent on  (a) public buildings,  (b) charity-owned buildings and  (c) private homes since the programme was launched.

Malcolm Wicks: The proportion of funding from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme which has been spent on public buildings, charity owned buildings and private homes is as follows:
	
		
			  LCBP phase 1 
			   Number of grants paid  Value of grants ()  Percentage of LCBP phase 1 
			 Private homes 4,427 6,963,828 89 
			 Charity buildings 11 113,939.84 1 
			 Public buildings 40 522,908.35 7 
		
	
	
		
			  LCBP phase 2 
			   Number of grants paid  Value of grants ()  Percentage of LCBP phase 2 
			 Private homes 0 0 0 
			 Charity buildings 28 284,529 12 
			 Public buildings 130 2,071,643 88

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of available grant funding under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme has been spent on solar photovoltaic power generation and wind turbines.

Malcolm Wicks: From a total budget of 86 million available under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme we have spent 10,149,701 to date of which 6,225,108.98 has been spent on solar photovoltaic power generation and 1,326,393.91 on wind turbines.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many private householders applied for grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each year since 2006.

Malcolm Wicks: The total number of householders who have applied for grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to date is 8,954. The breakdown by year is shown as follows:
	
		
			   Number of householder applications received 
			 2006 5,129 
			 2007 2,916 
			 2008 909 
			 Total 8,954 
		
	
	Although demand to the programme has fallen, the changes made at the re-launch in May 2007 have helped ensure that we are seeing a better quality of application to the programme that is more likely to complete.
	We recently announced that the household stream has been extended to June 2010 for new applications or as long as funds are available. We believe this extension combined with changes to planning requirements will provide an excellent opportunity to encourage uptake in the grants going forward.
	Further details are available at:
	www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects all funds available from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to be taken up; and what he anticipates will be the likely replacement of the programme once all funds available from it have been taken up.

Malcolm Wicks: We have currently committed 30 million to 6,300 projects under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. Going forward it is difficult to predict with certainty exactly when all funds will be taken up. We are continuing to promote the programme working closely with the programme managers and other stakeholders to increase take up.
	We recently announced that the household stream of the programme has been extended to June 2010 for new applications or as long as funds are available, whichever is sooner. We believe the extension gives business longer term certainty and is an excellent opportunity to encourage uptake in microgeneration technologies along with changes in planning requirements, which came into effect on 6 April.

Ministerial Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the holding Answer given to Question 193546, tabled on 7 March 2008, on ministerial correspondence, when he will provide a substantive reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 29 January.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 31 March 2008
	I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding, this was due to an administrative error. A response was sent to him on 31 March 2008.

Mobile Phones

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with each of the five largest mobile operators on mobile termination rates in the last six months.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 15 May 2008
	My colleagues and I meet regularly with representatives of the five largest mobile operators. The companies raise a range of current issues with us, including mobile termination rates. Ofcom's proposals for mobile termination rates following its consultation last year are currently subject to appeal in front of the Competition Appeal Tribunal. In view of that situation, we are not actively discussing the issue with any of the companies at this time.

Mobile Phones

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from the five largest mobile operators on the introduction of two-hour number porting since January 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 15 May 2008
	All the mobile phone network operators meet with my officials on a regular basis to discuss all types of mobile phone-related issues. I am aware that some operators are not comfortable with the arrangements concerning mobile number portability, but these matters are commercially sensitive and we are not able to comment on company specific policy. We understand that these matters are the subject of continuing discussions between Ofcom and the operators.

Money Lenders

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will put in place mechanisms to protect people with mental health problems from the activities of doorstep lenders and private finance companies.

Gareth Thomas: The Government have no plans to introduce specific protections in this area. However, recent reforms have strengthened protections for vulnerable consumers.
	From April 2008, reforms to the consumer credit licensing regime introduced by the Consumer Credit Act 2007 have given the OFT stronger powers to investigate and take action against rogue traders who lend irresponsibly. OFT will take a risk-based approach to enforcement, focusing its activities on those sectors where the risk of consumer detriment is highest. It has indicated that the home credit sector will be among those most carefully monitored. OFT will bring forward guidance this year for lenders about activities which may constitute irresponsible lending.
	Furthermore, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which come into force on 26 May, provide additional protection for vulnerable consumers. Under these regulations, a commercial practice, such as aggressive or misleading sales techniques, may be found unlawful where it is likely to adversely affect only a clearly identifiable group of vulnerable consumers in a way which a trader can reasonably foresee, by virtue of mental or physical infirmity, age or credulity.
	The consumer credit directive, which will be transposed into UK law by 2010, will provide further consumer protections through the introduction of a general right of withdrawal from credit agreements within scope, giving consumers a 14 day cooling-off period after signing their agreement. The Government will also bring forward regulations extending cancellation rights to contracts for goods and services purchased on the doorstep following a solicited visit by a trader. Consultation on draft regulations closed last month.
	The Government would expect all lenders to observe the Money Advice Liaison Group's best practice guidelines on debt management in relation to people with mental health problems.

Natural Gas: Prices

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what information he holds on the average cost of gas to  (a) domestic and  (b) commercial consumers in other EU member states for the purposes of benchmarking.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR calculates and publishes UK price information on a time series basis. These data are then presented alongside data for EU and other G7 economies.
	Domestic retail prices for gas for countries in the EU are published quarterly in section 5 of 'Quarterly Energy Prices', the latest edition of which was published in March 2008 and is available online at
	http://www/berr.gov.uk/files/file45393.pdf.
	Table 5.10.2 on page 70 shows average gas prices, including taxes, for the EU25 member states.
	Table 5.8.2 on page 67 shows average gas prices, including taxes, for non-domestic consumers. The Department does not hold any data on gas prices to commercial consumers.

Nuclear Installations Inspectorate: Finance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what costs have been recovered by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) for work carried out on prospective reactor designs as part of the general design assessment (GDA) programme from  (a) Westinghouse,  (b) GE Hitachi,  (c) EDF/Areva and  (d) Atomic Energy Canada; and what estimate he has made of further costs to be recovered by the NII under the GDA programme.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table sets out the amounts that have been recovered by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) from the companies mentioned above, and amounts that are due to the NII for work carried out to date on the Generic Design Assessment process.
	
		
			  GDA cost recovery 2007-08 
			   
			  Requesting party  Paid  Due  Total 
			 Westinghouse 374,743 178,900 553,644 
			 GE Hitachi 297,462 197,133 494,595 
			 EDF/Areva 370,422 258,648 629,070 
			 AECL 372,160 216,090 588,250 
			 Total 1,414,788 850,770 2,265,558 
		
	
	The NII have estimated that the costs they will recover for the rest of the Generic Design Assessment process will be in the region of 13 million per design, although this estimate will be dependent on a number of factors, including the level of advancement of the companies' submissions and the costs of using technical support organisations.

Nuclear Power Stations: Costs

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1464W, on nuclear power, if he will disaggregate the 10 per cent. discount rate into its component parts in accordance with Green Book methodology.

Malcolm Wicks: The 10 per cent. discount rate used to appraise nuclear power against other generation options is based on an assessment of the cost of capital faced by private sector electricity generators. It is used to produce estimates of generation costs for fossil fuel and low carbon generation options so that their costs can be compared against each other. The Treasury Green Book discount rate is then used to discount the cost differences between options over time in order to estimate the cost or benefit to the economy of one generation option over another.

Nuclear Power Stations: Costs

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1464W, on nuclear power, what the titles are of the studies on which the choice of a 10 per cent. discount rate was based.

Malcolm Wicks: A summary of the analysis of the costs of different electricity generation options is contained at annex B of the 2006 Energy Review. This is available at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file32014.pdf
	It provides a list of the studies which were used to compile the financial model used to make the cost estimates, including those which used a 10 per cent. discount rate. Most notable is the International Energy Agency (2005 Update) Projected Costs of Generating Electricity.

Overseas Companies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice his Department issues to UK businesses operating overseas on the reinvestment of profits in local communities.

Gareth Thomas: BERR encourages business to build Corporate Responsibility into its operations. The joint BERR/FCO organisation UK Trade and Investment, which helps UK based companies succeed in international markets, has a package of training to raise awareness and encourage staff to make UK businesses aware of the need to take account of their economic, social and environmental impacts when trading internationally.

Overseas Companies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice his Department issues to UK businesses operating overseas on in-country environmental and planning guidelines.

Gareth Thomas: BERR encourages business to build corporate responsibility into its operations and to take account of local guidelines. The joint BERR/FCO organisation, UK Trade and Investment, helps UK based companies succeed in international markets and has a global network of staff in some 100 countries who can advise UK business on environmental and planning guidelines relevant to their business in overseas markets.

Overseas Investment: Brazil

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of annual investment in Brazil by UK companies.

Gareth Thomas: According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics in February 2008, the net flow of the UK's foreign direct investment into Brazil in 2006 amounted to 356 million.
	Further information can be found in Business Monitor MA4, Foreign Direct Investment 2006.

Overseas Trade: Seychelles

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to increase trade between the United Kingdom and the Seychelles; how much his Department and its predecessor spent on the promotion of trade between the United Kingdom and the Seychelles in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department has no current or future plans to increase trade between the UK and Seychelles. There has been no spending on promotion of trade between UK and Seychelles in the last five years.

Overseas Trade: Seychelles

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department work on the promotion of trade between the United Kingdom and the Seychelles, broken down by grade; and what the equivalent numbers were for the Department of Trade and Industry in  (a) 1983,  (b) 1987 and  (c) each year between 1998 and 2005.

Gareth Thomas: No officials in BERR or its predecessor Department are, or have been, specifically engaged in promoting trade between the United Kingdom and Seychelles for at least 10 years. No records are available for 1983 and 1987.

Post Office: Reorganisation

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received on the Post Office's London Area Network Change Programme.

Patrick McFadden: My right hon. Friend has received various correspondence from MPs and members of the public concerning POL's Network Change Programme, including on the London Area Plan. These have been in the form of parliamentary questions, Members' cases and petitions.

Post Offices

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to compensate the Post Office network in full for the services of general economic interest provided by it; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the level of services of general economic interest provided by the Post Office network; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with  (a) the European Commission and  (b) his European counterparts on the level of services of general economic interest provided by the Post Office network.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 21 May 2008
	On 17 May 2007 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced an investment of 1.7 billion to sustain a national Post Office network. This package recognises the important social and economic role played by post offices in the communities they serve and reflects the breadth of Government interests in the network.
	Accordingly, on 8 November 2007, I entrusted Post Office Limited with the provision of certain specific services of general economic interest under the terms of a letter to its managing director, Alan Cook. The specific services are set out in the annex to that letter. I have today arranged for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House. Compensation for the provision of these services up to March 2011 is included within the 1.7 billion investment announced on 17 May 2007.
	The European Commission provided the approval necessary for the funding on 29 November 2007, following the submission of a formal notification on 28 June 2007, and certain consequent clarificatory discussions between officials of BERR and the Commission.

Post Offices: Closures

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effects of post office branch closures on local businesses.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 22 May 2008
	In developing its proposals for post office closures under the network change programme, Post Office Ltd is required to consider, among a range of factors, the impact on local economies. It is not possible to say what effect the closure of individual post offices may have on local businesses until the implementation of Post Office Ltd's relevant network change area plan is completed.

Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost of the press offices of  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies were for each year since 1996-97; what the cost was in each quarter since 1 April 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Cost of Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform press office 
			   000 
			 2003-04 n/a 
			 2004-05 1,074 
			 2005-06 1,106 
			 2006-07 967 
		
	
	The DTI was reorganised in July 2007. Figures for BERR 2007-08 will not be available until after the accounts are audited.
	Figures are not available for the DTI prior to 2004-05 as that year saw the introduction of a new accounting system and the accounts for previous years were not transferred.
	
		
			  Cost of UK Trade and Industry press office 
			   000 
			 2003-04 n/a 
			 2004-05 153 
			 2005-06 143 
			 2006-07 136 
		
	
	UKTI was formed in October 2003. They do not hold financial information for predecessor organisations.
	Financial information for UKTI's press office is provided from April 2004. There is no singularly identifiable cost centre for the press office prior to this date as costs were shared across various teams in the marketing department.
	Total pay costs represent the costs of staff in postcomprising salary, overtime, NI and superannuation.
	
		
			  Cost of BERR NDPB press offices 
			  000 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 ACAS(1) 50.9 52.5 54.1 55.8 57.5 59.3 61.2 63.1 65 67.1 
			 Atomic Energy Authority(2) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Civil Nuclear Police Authority(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 103 123 
			 Coal Authority(4) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Competition Commission 68.6 28.3 25.7 45.2 48.8 47.6 58.9 138.5 162.8 137.4 
			 Competition Service(5) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Energy Watch(6) n/a n/a n/a n/a 180 198 204 208 151 148 
			 Hearing Aid Council(7) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 National Consumer Council 77.5 52.5 82.9 96.4 98.3 76.2 84.3 88.5 90.9 94.1 
			 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority(8) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 PostWatch(9) n/a n/a n/a n/a 550 519 488 265 365 386 
			 SITPRO Ltd.(10) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (1) ACAS do not hold the broken down figures from 1996-97 to 2005-06 but has estimated these costs. (2) The UK Atomic Energy Authority does not employ dedicated press officers. Five members of staff in the UKAEA have media relations as part, but not all, of their duties. The UKAEA have estimated the staff costs and overheads per annum based on a FTE equivalent of two full time employees, based an estimate of the proportion of UKAEA communications team members' time available to cover press officer functions. (3) The Civil Nuclear Constabulary was set up as a separate entity in 2005. (4 )The Coal Authority does not have a press office. (5) The Competition Service does not have a press office. (6) Energy Watch, were set up in 2001. Their costs refer only to staff salaries. (7) The Hearing Aid Council does not have a press office. (8) The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority does not have a press office. Three Communications Managers are employed to undertake a variety of activities of which handling media inquiries is one element. A Head of Communications and Communications Director may also handle media inquiries. (9)( )PostWatch was set up in 2001. (10) SITPRO Ltd. does not have a dedicated press office. 
		
	
	Figures for 2007-08 have not been included as this information has not yet been audited.
	The following table details the cost of maintaining a press office function in each RDA. The press offices sit within a larger general marketing function, therefore the relevant costs of maintaining the press office function (staff salaries plus on costs) are shown. However, it is not possible to draw a direct correlation between the cost of the press office and the number of FTE staff because in many cases RDA staff fulfil other responsibilities in addition to press office duties.
	Figures for 2007-08 have not been included as this information has not yet been audited.
	
		
			  Cost of RDA press offices 
			  000 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 AWM(1)  22,000 25,483 86,635 112,776 139,601 154,886 158,293 
			 EEDA(2) 4,637 25,468 16,576 25,047 29,710 46,562 92,985 97,643 
			 EMDA(3)45,000 48,295 55,803 55,811 52,462 
			 LDA(4)118,817 137,580 213,188 287,882 207,863 
			 NWDA(5)  37,195 87,370 107,558 128,473 186,063 171,444 194,795 
			 ONE(6) 106,305 111,900 117,790 135,103 175,242 92,478 153,208 195,380 
			 SEEDA(7)  13,827 43,203 57,396 L98,557 149,572 191,185 154,046 
			 SWRDA(8)   93,159 110,662 156,970 170,797 205,537 283,839 
			 YF(9)   51,525 53,692 71,902 88,547 100,907 110,088 
			 (1) AWM press office costs for 1999-2000 (ie staff salary and on-costs) are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost. (2) In 1999-2000 the EEDA press office function was only carried out for the fourth quarter of the financial year. In 2001-02 the press office function was carried out by one FTE member of staff, but was vacant during quarter two of the financial year, reflected by lower costs for that year. (3) EMDA press office costs for 1999-2000 to 2001-02 are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost. Recent changes in the EMDA payroll system mean that it is not possible to calculate on costs such as national insurance and pension contributions for historic salary records, therefore the figures provided relate to pure salary costs only. (4) LDA press office costs for 2000-01 and 2001-02 (ie staff salary and on-costs) are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost (5) NWDA press office costs for 1999-2000 (ie staff salary and on-costs) are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost. In 2000-01 the press office function was not carried out for the entire final year, reflected by reduced costs for that year. (6) At ONE North East, the press office also carries out public relations functions on behalf of the agency, which accounts for the higher than average, costs in the first four years listed. (7) SEEDA press office costs for 1999-2000 (ie staff salary and on-costs) are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost. (8) SWRDA press office costs for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 (ie staff salary and on-costs) are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost. (9) YF press office costs for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 (ie staff salary and on-costs) are archived and are available only at disproportionate cost.

Public Houses

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress his Department has made in implementing those recommendations made by the Trade and Industry Committee on Public House Ownership in 2004 that were accepted by the Government; if he will introduce proposals for legislation to implement those recommendations in full; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: There was just one recommendation made to Government in the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee's report on pub companies published on 8 December 2004.
	My predecessor wrote to the Chairman of the Committee in February 2005. The Government agreed that a voluntary code could go some way to resolving concerns of tenants about their contractual relationships with pub companies. However, the Government saw difficulties with imposing a statutory code of practice upon the industry which would prescribe the terms and conditions for what are commercial arrangements.
	Any competition concerns that arise in relation to the behaviour of the pub companies would be a matter for the competition authorities.

Public Houses

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate public house leasing to require public house owners to  (a) inform their tenants how their rents are calculated,  (b) prevent tenants being financially disadvantaged by the creation of a tie,  (c) cease the practice of upward-only rent review and  (d) remove the tie on assessment with prizes machines; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The arrangements under which the rent may be varied during the course of a business tenancy are a matter of agreement between the pub landlord and the lessor during negotiations and will be set out in the lease document. The lessor can only vary the rent in accordance with these agreed arrangements. Leases generally make provision for dispute resolution, which pub landlords can use to challenge the lessor's proposals if they consider them too high.
	On the question of upward only rent reviews, the Government are concerned to promote more flexibility in the commercial property market. Hence last year, at the Government's request, the property industry introduced a stronger code of practice which makes recommendations to landlords on rent reviews, among other things. Although the code, 'The Code for Leasing Business Premises in England and Wales 2007', is voluntary, Communities and Local Government will be keeping an eye on the market and have not ruled out legislation as an option. The code can be found at:
	www.leasingbusinesspremises.co.uk
	On the subject of beer ties I refer the hon. Member to my answer to written parliamentary question 2007/2709.
	With regards to amusements with prizes machines, the possessor of an on-premises alcohol licence, whether the lessee of a tied premises or an owner of a free house, is automatically entitled to offer up to two category C or D gaming machines (known before the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005 as Amusement with Prizes machines), and to apply for an enhanced entitlement from the licensing authority under section 283 of the Act. The Government have no plans to review these provisions.

Public Houses: Competition

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals for legislation to remove ties from leased public houses tied to brewers owning more than 500 pubs; if he will  (a) commission an investigation into the supply tie and  (b) refer the matter of the supply tie and rent formulation to the Competition Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Ensuring that markets operate freely and fairly is a matter for the independent competition authorities, rather than for the Government. The UK competition framework has established the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) as an independent statutory body which is responsible for ensuring that markets operate competitively, and it has the powers to investigate and take action if companies are abusing a dominant position in a market or behaving anti-competitively.

Renewable Energy

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the  (a) amount and  (b) value of renewable energy sold to customers in (i) the domestic sector, (ii) the commercial sector and (iii) the public sector in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 May 2008
	Renewable energy sources can be used to generate electricity or heat.
	
		
			   Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent 
			   2005  2006 
			 Electricity generation (renewables and wastes used to generate electricity) 4,018 4,232 
			 Final consumption of renewables and wastes 612 603 
			  Of which:   
			 Domestic 256 263 
			 Public administration 100 87 
			 Commercial 10 10 
			  Source: Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2007, tables 7.1 and 7.2. 
		
	
	Electricity generated from renewable sources is fed into the transmission and distribution grids along with electricity from fossil fuel and nuclear sources. For this reason, the amount of electricity sourced from renewables cannot be allocated to individual consuming sectors. Therefore the value of renewable electricity sold by sector is not available. The level of renewable heat sold is small, so price information is not collected, thus no value information is available.

Renewable Energy

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what mechanisms are in place to monitor the take-up of renewable energy by  (a) domestic,  (b) commercial and  (c) public sector energy consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 May 2008
	Tables 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2007 provides final consumption data by sector for renewables and waste and also data for renewables and wastes used for electricity generation in 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Corresponding tables for earlier years are also available on the BERR energy statistics website at:
	www.stats.berr.gov.uk/energystats/dukes7_1-7_3.xls
	The data in chapter 7 of DUKES are sourced from an ongoing study by AEA Energy and Environment on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to update a database containing information on all relevant renewable energy sources in the United Kingdom. This database is called RESTATSthe Renewable Energy STATisticS database at:
	www.restats.org.uk
	A copy of this document is available in the Libraries of the House.

Renewable Energy: Housing

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of household grants that will be claimed under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme for  (a) solar photovoltaics,  (b) wind turbines,  (c) small hydro,  (d) solar thermal hot water,  (e) ground source heat pumps,  (f) biomass room heaters and stoves and  (g) wood-fuelled boiler systems in (i) 2008 (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Malcolm Wicks: Given that there have been approximately 4,300 domestic installations funded through the Householder Stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme to date, we would estimate there to be approximately a further 8,000 domestic installations funded through the programme to scheme closure should all of the available funds be committed.
	Details are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Technology  2006-07 (Actual)  2007-08 (Actual)  2008-09 (Estimate)  2009-10 (Estimate)  2010-11 (Estimate)  Phase 1 total (Estimate) 
			 Biomass room heater/stove (automated wood pellet feed) 1 8 11 9 6 35 
			 Ground source heat pump 69 181 319 261 151 981 
			 Small scale hydro 0 2 9 5 1 17 
			 Solar photovoltaic 228 452 357 521 447 2,005 
			 Solar thermal hot water 1,263 1,388 1,090 1,894 1,682 7,317 
			 Wind turbine 177 345 218 347 270 1,357 
			 Wood fuelled boiler system 34 104 182 156 111 587 
			 Total 1,772 2,480 2,157 3,193 2,696 12,299

Resolving Disputes in the Workplace

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many written representations were received in the Resolving Disputes in the Workplace consultation; and if he will place copies of them in the Library.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 22 May 2008
	The Department received 443 written representations to the consultation. The Government response to the consultation, which was published on 19 May 2008, summarises the range of representations received. Copies of the formal Government response are being placed in the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail: Finance

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the budgeted financial balance of the Royal Mail is for the financial year 2008-09.

Patrick McFadden: This is a commercial matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked Adam Crozier, chief executive of Royal Mail, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail: Lost Property

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what percentage of items posted by the public were lost by Royal Mail in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.
	A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail: Manpower

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the staff headcount of the Royal Mail was on 30 April 2008.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked Adam Crozier, chief executive of Royal Mail, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme: Wales

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for how long the increase in the Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme, announced in the Budget 2008, will last in Wales.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government announced that it will increase Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) lending limit allocations by 20 per cent. for one year, as part of its Enterprise Strategy, published alongside the Budget 2008.
	More than 29 lenders UK wide make use of SFLG.

Textiles: Imports

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what quantity of  (a) clothing and  (b) other textiles was imported from India in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: The following table shows data for UK imports of clothing and textiles from India.
	
		
			   Apparel, clothing and accessories  Textiles, yarn, made up articles, fibre and waste 
			   Value ( million)  Weight (Thousand tonnes)  Value ( million)  Weight (Thousand tonnes) 
			 1997 272 24.8 311 122.9 
			 1998 230 22.2 284 117.5 
			 1999 260 26.4 254 113.3 
			 2000 321 31.2 266 122.8 
			 2001 349 35.9 286 117.8 
			 2002 373 37.7 254 107.8 
			 2003 393 39.4 253 107.2 
			 2004 430 45.9 274 109.0 
			 2005 606 63.7 251 96.2 
			 2006 644 58.5 269 100.4 
			 2007 751 70.8 289 108.6 
			  Source:  BERR using HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics.

Tidal Power: River Severn

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the reasons were for not considering tidal stream as one of the options to be evaluated by the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study.

Malcolm Wicks: The feasibility study focuses on tidal range power generation because the key resource of the Severn estuary is its tidal rangeit has the second highest tides in the world (up to 14 metres) and around 90 per cent. of total UK practical tidal range resource. Whereas, as the Sustainable Development Commission's recent study confirms (Turning the Tide, published October 2007) the tidal stream resource of the Severn estuary is much smaller and represents a minor part of the total potential of UK waters.
	The feasibility study is however considering proposals for tidal stream development where this is in combination with tidal range development.

Trade: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much trade with Israel contributed to the United Kingdom's gross domestic product in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Gareth Thomas: The benefits of international trade to gross domestic product (GDP) result from greater economic efficiency due to a combination of increased competition in markets, relative comparative advantages, economies of scale, increased opportunities for learning, and greater incentives for innovation. Due to the difficulty of differentiating between the impact of trade and other factors on growth, it is not possible to quantify precisely the impact of trade with another country on GDP.
	The following table indicates the scale of UK trade in goods and services to Israel for the years 2002-06 as a proportion of GDP:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 UK exports to Israel: percentage of UK GDP at market prices 0.18 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.13 
			 UK imports from Israel: percentage of UK GDP at market prices 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 
		
	
	Geographical data for trade in 2007 are due to be published at the end of October.

UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Group

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the total cost of rebranding the Defence Exports Services Organisation as the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Group.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 28 April 2008
	 The estimated direct cost for the creation of the UKTI-DSO identity was approximately 15,000.

Utilities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment his Department has made of the  (a) accountability and  (b) effectiveness of regulators of utilities.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government recently responded to the report on UK economic regulators by the House of Lords Committee on Regulators (November 2007, HL 189-II) which among other issues covered the accountability of regulators to Parliament as well as their accountability through the Competition Commission, impact assessments and consumer representation. In its response (February 2008, URN 08/648), the Government stated that:
	Regulators should be encouraged to think about whether they can be more proactive in using competition law, including market investigation references to the Competition Commission;
	Impact assessments provide transparency and as such should be an integral part of the policy-making process;
	The new National Consumer Council, to be established from 1 October 2008, will enhance consumer representation by being a more powerful consumer advocate.
	With regard to effectiveness, Government maintains an active interest in looking at the regulatory regime as a whole, and has tasked the Better Regulation Executive with this role. However, as bodies independent from government, regulators assess their effectiveness through their own corporate governance structures. Further assessment beyond this is primarily a matter for Parliament.

Ministerial Visits

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which locations abroad the Minister of State for Trade and Investment has visited since his appointment.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 12 May 2008
	Since his appointment on 1 July 2007, the Minister for Trade and Investment has (as of 19 May 2008) visited the following overseas locations:
	Abu Dhabi
	Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Sydney)
	Bahrain
	Bulgaria (Sofia)
	Canada (Vancouver)
	China (Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan)
	Denmark (Copenhagen)
	Dubai
	France (Paris)
	Germany (Dusseldorf, Hannover)
	Greece (Athens)
	India (Chandigarh, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune)
	Japan (Tokyo)
	Libya (Tripoli)
	Morocco (Casablanca)
	Netherlands (Amsterdam)
	New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington)
	Qatar
	Romania (Brasov, Bucharest)
	Russia (Moscow)
	Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar, Riyadh)
	Switzerland (Davos, Zurich)
	Thailand (Bangkok)
	United States of America (Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Brunswick, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix)

World War II: Medals

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many Bevin Boys badges have been awarded to people in Hemsworth constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: To date, the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, who are processing applications for the Bevin Boys Veterans Badge on behalf of the Department, have received 10 applications from people in the Hemsworth constituency.